Mid-day meals will be provided to students even during the summer vacation in schools in view of the lockdown imposed to fight COVID-19, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said on Tuesday.
Theminister also directed the states to start evaluating the answer sheets of theboard exams of Classes 10 and 12, and facilitate the CBSE.
TheHRD minister made the comments at a meeting held through video-conferencingwith state education ministers.
“Duringlockdown, ration is being provided under mid-day meal scheme for the childrento get adequate and nutritious food. Approval is being given for providingmid-day meal during summer holidays of schools, on which an additionalexpenditure of about Rs 1,600 crore will be made. In addition, under themid-day meal scheme, an ad-hoc grant of Rs 2,500 crore is being issued for thefirst quarter,” Nishank said.
“Inwake of COVID-19, the annual central allocation of cooking cost (or procurementof pulses, vegetables, oil, spices and fuel) under the mid-day meal scheme isenhanced to Rs 8,100 crore from Rs 7,300 crore, an increment of 10.99 percent,” he added.
Asking the states to begin the evaluation process of board exam papers, the minister said, “The evaluation process must begin and states must facilitate CBSE to evaluate answer sheets of the students in their respective states. States where Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya are approved but could not be started due to lack of land or running on less capacity are requested to transfer the land quickly so that the children of the state can get benefit from it.”