Additional 15 gm dhal to be given to Classes 6 to 8 students in mid-day meals

“According to the guidelines issued by the Union government to fulfill the nutritional demands of students of upper primary classes, 15 grams of dhal will be provided additionally on a daily basis,” said S Madhumathi, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, in the order.

Under the MGR Nutritious Meal Programme, launched in 1982, the state had been providing free food for students in government schools. During the lockdown period dry food grains are distributed to students to meet their nutritional demands.

Nearly, 100 grams of rice and 40 grams of dhal are provided to primary class students and 150 grams of rice and 41 grams of dhal are provided to students of upper primary classes, on a daily basis.

Recently, the Centre under the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal for Schools (NPMDMS) had announced that a student of primary class should be given 450 kilo calories and 12 grams of proteins and students of upper primary classes should be given 700 kilo calories and 20 grams of proteins on a daily basis.

However, according to the current nutritional value of food taken by students of upper primary classes, there is deficiency in calories by 50 kilo calories and proteins by 0.8 grams. Hence to increase the nutritional supply 15 grams of dhal had been added daily which will provide 49.61 kilo calories and 3.375 grams of protein additionally in the food consumed by students.

Madhumathi had also ordered that the additional quantity of dhal will also be provided to students till the lockdown is in force.