The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) plans to come out with guidelines for kitchen gardens in government and aided schools under the mid-day meal scheme in a month’s time.

The idea is to widely implement the concept which is already being tried out in some States.

“There are a few States in which government schools have kitchen gardens in their premises. However, there are no proper guidelines on how to go about setting them up,” said sources familiar with the matter. The government is also contemplating separate fund allocation for having such kitchen gardens across the country, the sources added.

The move will also help students get safe and organic food with better nutritional value and learn new skills.

“Through this concept, students will be able to engage in extra-curricular activities that are also eco-friendly in nature,” the sources said.

Change in menu

Recently, minor changes were also introduced in the mid-day meal scheme menu. After the modifications, the menu would be prepared keeping in mind staple grains and vegetables available in a region as well as preferred food choices.

According to the latest data available, 9.46 crore children were covered under the mid-day meal scheme in 11.34 lakh schools during 2017-18 with 25.06 lakh cook-cum-helpers involved.

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