Khichdi least preferred among students: Audit

Chandigarh: While the quality and quantity of PM POSHAN meal in govt schools is deemed nearly appropriate, most teachers lacked proper training for implementing the scheme, despite two-thirds expressing the need for orientation, revealed a social audit report for the academic year 2023-24 on mid-day meals.
The PM POSHAN scheme, launched in Chandigarh on a pilot basis in Jan 2006, now covers 120 schools with an overall enrollment of 1,04,276 students.In the academic year 2023-24, over 1.09 crore meals were ordered and served compared to 1.49 crore in 2022-23.
Rising demand
Since 2016, the number of meals ordered under the PM POSHAN scheme has increased from 45,123 meals to 1.09 crore. In comparison, student enrollment has increased by 7.6%, from 99,070 to 106,581. This shows a significant rise in meal distribution, far exceeding the growth in student enrollment, reflecting a stronger commitment to ensuring more students receive meals regularly.
The audit covered 20 schools in Chandigarh, including model, non-model, rural, and urban slum schools, and three non-profit organisations (NPOs) that provide meals to over 90 schools.
As a part of the audit, the team interviewed around 205 helpers, 31 teachers, and 14 cooks involved in meal preparation and distribution.
The social audit aimed to ensure the entitlements guaranteed under the National Food Security Act - 2013 are provided to all students in a timely and equitable manner. It also sought to verify the scheme’s implementation, adherence to guidelines, and the status of school infrastructure.
Student preferences
Besides teachers’ training, the audit also highlighted student preferences in the mid-day meal menu, with most students favouring ‘karahi-rice’ while ‘khichdi’ and ‘daliya’ were the least liked.
On days when khichdi and daliya were served, food intake was notably less. The audit team suggested replacing these items with seasonal vegetables. The team advocated for including fruits like bananas, oranges, and apples in the menu, along with a weekly provision of kheer, halwa, and puri.
Another key finding was the absence of growth pattern tracking in student health records.
Key recommendations
The audit recommended meals should be prepared on-site in schools to ensure proper hygiene standards and regular interactions between parents, staff, and higher authorities should take place quarterly.