India 2018

Education 173
Tithi Bhojan
"Tithi Bhojan" is a concept designed to ensure greater public participation under
the Mid Day Meal Programme being followed in Gujarat. In order to bring in
greater community participation, local communities are encouraged to celebrate
important family events viz., birth of a child, success in exam, inauguration of
new house, etc. by contributing to the mid day meal served in the local schools.
It is voluntarily served by the community/family among school children in
several forms like sweets and namkeen along with regular MDM, full meals,
supplementary nutritive items like sprouted beans, contribution in kind such
as cooking ware, utensils, dinner sets or glasses for drinking water. All the states/
UTs have been requested to consider adopting the practice of Tithi Bhojan with
this nomenclature or any nomenclature suitable to the state/UT governments.
The concept has been adopted by different states with local nomenclatures like
'Sampriti Bhojan' in Assam, 'Dham' in Himachal Pradesh, 'Sneh Bhojan' in
Maharashtra, 'Shalegagi Naavu Neevu' in Karnataka, 'Anna Dhanam' in
Puducherry, 'Priti Bhoj' in Punjab and 'Utsav Bhoj' in Rajasthan.
Implementation of Automated Monitoring System for real time monitoring of
MDMS
The Department of School Education and Literacy has put in place an automated
system of data collection for real time monitoring of MDMS. Such data is being
captured from schools with no cost to school Head Master and Teachers. Under
the automated monitoring system, states/UTs are setting up a suitable system
of data collection (i.e. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)/SMS/mobiIe
application/web Application) from schools on a daily basis and using it for
purpose of monitoring and timely follow-up action. States/UTs are pushing
data on specific fields in a pre-defined format on a real time basis to the Central
Server maintained by NIC. A Central portal for analysis and display of data at
the Central level is being managed by NIC. Based on the data collected, various
drill down reports are made available for real time monitoring of the scheme at
national/state/district/block level.
Cent per cent Aadhaar Enrolment of Children
The Department issued notification for enrolment of cent per cent students in
all schools. The use of Aadhaar identity document for delivery of services or
benefits or subsidies simplify the government delivery processes, brings in
transparency and efficiency. Enrolment of children under Aadhaar would enable
to eliminate the proxy enrolment and provide the benefits of Mid Day Meal
Scheme to the deserving children in a seamless manner.
Mid Day Meal Rules
The Mid Day Meal Rules, (MDM) 2015 have been notified under the National
Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 and the same are effective from 2015. All the
states/UTs have been advised to disseminate and enforce the MDM Rules 2015
in all eligible schools. They were also advised to take necessary action to