'Restart Mid-Day Meals in Schools': Sonia Gandhi During Zero Hour in Parliament

The percentage of malnourished children under five years of age has increased since 2015-16, she said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi

(Photo: PTI)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, 23 March, urged the central government to reinstate the mid-day meal scheme in schools, which was halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Making a mention of the same during the Zero Hour in Parliament, Gandhi asked the Centre to make hot and cooked food available for children under three years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers as well.

"When schools were shut down, the mid-day meals scheme was also discontinued. It was because of the National Food Security Act and directions from the Supreme Court that people were given dry rations. But for children, dry ration is no substitute for cooked and nutritious meals."

Congress President Sonia Gandhi

Children are the country's future, and they suffered the most during the COVID-19 pandemic since schools were amongst the first to shut down and last to reopen, she said. "They, along with their families, faced a lot of difficulties during the unprecedented times," the Congress leader stated.

"But now, as children return to school, they need to be given better nutrition. Mid-day meals will also help bring those children back to school who had dropped out during the pandemic," she said.

She added that according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2019-21, the percentage of underweight and malnourished children who were under five years of age had increased in comparison to the percentage in 2015-16.

"This is worrisome and the government should make every effort to prevent this," she urged.