Mid Day Meals Scheme

Government-NGO Public & Private Partnership and the Mid Day Meals Scheme

The Public-private Partnership (PPP) model is generally linked to the infrastructure sector, where investments are huge and thus, the Government enters a partnership with private sector companies to make projects economically viable.

it is popular in other sectors as well.Inside the education sector, for example, the Government has got in a tie-up with Non Governmental Organisations to apply the Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDMS), the Government of India’s ambitious school lunch programme, as part of which a nutritious meal is supplied to in excess of 100 million school children every day.

How Non Governmental Organisations Enter into the Picture
Now the implementation of MDMS has become simply a Herculean task for State Governments, knowning that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, considering that it’s the largest school lunch programme in the world. Therefore, to make it viable, several State Governments have forged a partnership with not-for-profit organisations with sound financial and logistical credentials.

Many State Governments of India has got into a partnership having a not-for-profit organisation to supply mid-day meals to school children. They’re many well-known not-for-profit organisations in India which are assisting the states to apply the ambitious programme.How a Government-Non Governmental Organisation Partnership is Improving the Mid-day Meal Scheme

The Government – Non Governmental Organisation partnership system has helped several states to iron the wrinkles in MDMS. Earlier, the teachers were entrusted the task of preparing mid-day meals, because of which they were unable focus on their primary role, i.e., teaching. With nonprofit organisations taking care of the cooking part now, the teachers don’t have to worry about it.
Similarly, as cooking is now carried out in centralized kitchens from the school premises, it’s ruled out the chances of mishaps, thus making the premises safer for children.There are many areas where it has helped for making a positive impact, no doubt, however the most significant benefit of Non Governmental Organisations joining the Government is the fact that it has helped the latter to reach out to more children.

That is not to state the federal government is really a passive spectator. It will its bit by giving land for the construction of kitchens, providing food grains, as well as helps Non Governmental Organisations to boost funds by putting forth provisions like 100% tax deduction. (In addition, in several areas, it helps schools run their own mid-day meal kitchens.)
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy framed under the New Companies Act, 2013, has also come as a blessing in disguise for this programme. This policy makes it mandatory for ‘qualifying companies’ to spend at least 2% of their average net profit for 3 preceding financial years on CSR initiatives to facilitate socioeconomic development.
This has made it easier for Non Governmental Organisations to raise funds for both, sustainability and expansion.