The national programme of nutritional support to primary education, known as mid day meal scheme, has been rechristened as 'national programme of mid day meals in schools' with the extension of scheme upto class eight.
Government has now extended the mid day meal scheme to the upper primary stage of education in 3,479 educationally backward blocks (ebbs) this year and across the country from 2008-09.
The extension of the programme, effective from October this year, would cover about 1.7 crore children at upper primary level, an official release said today.
A sum of Rs 7,324 crore was provided in 2007-08 budget for the mid day meal programme, representing 37 per cent increase over the budget provision for 2006-07.
The calorific value of the mid day meal has been fixed for upper primary at 700 calories and 20 grams of protein. Food grains of 150 grams per child on school day for the upper primary stage would be provided.
