On Tuesday, May 9, the Rajasthan government sanctioned Rs 864 crore for the daily inclusion of milk in mid-day meals to school students up to Class VIII across the state. At present, sweetened-hot milk is served only twice a week in government schools under the Mukhyamantri Bal Gopal Yojana, launched on November 29, 2022.
"To further boost the nutritional value of the daily mid-day meals, milk will now be provided during the remaining four days as well for all students of Classes I to VIII," an official statement said. The scheme will be started in government schools, madrassas and special training centres to ensure that students opting for mid-day meals are provided milk as well, as per a report by PTI.
It may be noted that this scheme was announced by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the 2023-24 state budget. This year, Rs 1,450 crore has been allocated to the mid-day meal programme. Additionally, Rs 12,200 crore has been allocated to the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The Rajasthan government has increased the budget for education this year by 11 per cent, amounting to Rs 49,627 crore.
It is also worth noting that Rajasthan has allocated 18 per cent of its total expenditure for education in 2022-23. This is higher than the average allocation (15.2 per cent) for education by all states in the 2021-22 financial year, as stated on the official website of the state government.
