Central kitchen for mid-day meals in schools from next year

School education minister Rajendra Darda on Tuesday announced a mandatory system of a central kitchen for mid-day meals served at schools, which will be put into place from the next academic year. The measure, according to Darda, is being taken to improve the quality of food and to curb instances of food poisoning among school students.

Replying to a seven-hour-long debate on the budgetary demands on the department, Darda cited a successful pilot central kitchen project at Aurangabad, which has helped provide quality food. In Mumbai, the project is currently underway on an experimental basis and it will be made compulsory from the next academic year.

Darda said the central kitchen will cook food for lakhs of school students. “I am of the opinion that those schools which do not need a mid-day meal facility be excluded from the scheme. But, the central government does not permit this,” he added.

The minister reaffirmed that the department will ensure that Marathi is treated as a second- language at ICSE and CBSE schools and hence, compulsorily taught till Class VIII.

Darda said a decision on action against schools and managements which have bogus students their rolls, found during the state-wide census conducted in October last year, will be taken at a cabinet meeting in the next few days.

Higher and technical education minister Rajesh Tope said a decision on the bifurcation of universities which have a large number of affiliated colleges will be taken in over a month. He also announced that 14 new girls’ hostels, including two in Mumbai, will be opened to rein in the dropout rate among girl students.