your point is taken.
but problem is milk and banana is hard to come by in government-arranged school meals... what they provide, solely in the noon, is rice with dal or even worse, sambar... dal is fine but if it would have been made with brinjal ( north indian style ) and with potato ( bengal style ), along with tea... additionally ensuring that parents are given allowance for giving their children banana with milk and corn flakes in the morning... otherwise, the whole exercise is pointless.
also, csir ( council for scientific and industrial research ) should have asked its food research laboratory to research on artificial milk, meat and eggs, because protein is important... this way, cultural sentiments would have been respected as well as nutrition-for-present-and-future would have been ensured.
by the way, i will formuate soon reply to your long post on page 7.
I think you have not read how the mid day meal programs have been designed.
Unlike your vision there are 1000s of complexities that have been pondered upon, that includes, local food habits, regional food products availability, nutritional requirements, ability to digest and ability to make it available in short time.
You should read about it more, you would be amazed how much planning and details have gone into it. And a lot have been focused on providing best possible nutritional value in the limited scope of availability and complexities of societies.
Just to name some of the people who are part of the mid day meal program so that it meets its objective
1. Dr. Prema Ramachandran, Director, Nutrition Foundation of India, New Delhi
2. Dr. Amarjit Singh, Joint Secretary (EE.I), Department of School Education & Literacy
3. Shri C. Viswanath, Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution
4. Dr. A.C. Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment
5. Ms. Anuradha Gupta, Joint Secretary(RCH), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
6. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs
7. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs
8. Ms. Kumkum Marwah, Joint Technical Advisor, Ministry of Women & Child Development
9. Mr. Biraj Patanayak, Office of Supreme Court Commissioner, New Delhi
10. Shri K. Ashok Rao, SSMI, J-152, Saket, New Delhi – 110 017.
11. Mr. Dilip Ranjekar, Azim Premji Foundation
12. Chairman, UP Board of Madarsa Education,
13. Shri Rupak Hom Roy, Head Master, Ballygunge Government High School, Kolkatta
14. Dr. C. Chandramohan, Adviser (School Education& Sports), Planning Commission,New Delhi
15. Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
16. Mr. Amod Kumar,
17. Ms. Yamini Ayyar, Accountability India, New Del hi
18. Shri Santosh Mehrotra, Director-General, Institute of Applied Manpower Research, Planning Commission, New Delhi
19. Secretary, Basic Education, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
20. Principal Secretary, School Education, Govt. of Tripura
21. Principal Secretary, School Education, Govt. of Jharkhand
22. Shri Gaya Prasad, Director, MDM, Department of School Education & Literacy.
I hope you noticed how many people from diverse setups are brought to plan something that turns out to be worlds largest plan of its kind. Its not like your road side dabha plan not to provide panner butter masala today.
And take your own time to formulate a reply for page 7 post, i have no urgency