Contaminated Mid-Day Meal | 09 May 2025

Why in News?  

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance of over 100 students falling ill from contaminated Mid Day Meal in Patna and issued a notice to the Bihar government. 

 Key Points 

• About Mid Day Meal Scheme:  
  • The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is the largest school nutrition programme of its kind in the world, covering students enrolled in government schools from classes 1 to 8. 
  • The basic objective of this scheme is to increase enrollment in schools . 
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education 
• Background: This programme was first started in 1925 in the Madras Municipal Corporation for underprivileged children. 
  • It was a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched on a pilot basis in the year 1995 for children from Classes 1 to 5 and by October 2007 MDMS was extended to Class 8.