Govt schools to compulsorily display midday meal logo

Move is to restore people’s confidence in scheme and fix responsibility for tragedy, if any.

With an aim to restore people’s confidence in the midday meal scheme and fix responsibility in case of tragedies such as the one that struck a school in Bihar in July, the State government has planned various transparency measures, including the mandatory display of the logo.

Since the Bihar tragedy, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Karnataka, has been monitoring the meals being served in schools, besides enhancing safety standards, etc. The display of the logo is another step in this direction. “Better visibility will increase transparency and help in fixing responsibility during times of tragedy, if any,” S Jayakumar, Joint Director (Midday Meal), DPI, said.

The logo featuring a group of children sitting in a circle and having meals served to the them has been in use ever since the scheme was introduced in the State, but its use was less than visible in the DPI’s own works.

“When we talk about the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the image of a pencil with a boy and a girl sitting at its each end comes to mind. Many people immediately recognise the symbol and its meaning. The midday meal logo should inspire the same feelings among people,” Jayakumar added.

The move is also aimed at publicising the government’s role in the scheme. “I have personally come across many people who say the food comes from Iskon or some other not-for profit organisation. They are unaware it’s a government scheme,” Jayakumar added.

A visit to the Midday Meal office in the City is enough to see the manifestation of this conscious move. Jayakumar’s chamber has not one but three huge posters prominently showing the logos.

“Each office in districts and taluks will have such posters with the prominent display of the logo. Schools will also be asked to display the logo,” Jayakumar added. Besides, the DPI will extensively use the logo in its circulars as well as other documents and files. Workers will also exhibit identity cards with the logo.

Of 55,000-odd government schools where midday meals are provided to children, 5,790 display the logos of NGOs which implement the scheme there. A total of 10.68 lakh students are enrolled in these schools.

“We have noticed many NGOs feature their own logo prominently but leave out the government’s. We have now asked them to prominent display the government logo,” Jayakumar said. Even vehicles carrying meals from such NGOs to the respective schools will have to sport the government logo.

The decision to make the logo more prominent was taken after a meeting of the Ministry of Human Resources’ fourth review mission for the midday meal scheme.