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"Mid-day meals" is a scheme launched in India to provide nutritious free meal to all school children. The objective of this scheme was to ensure children attend school and also get fed.
Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Kamaraj, who launched the blueprint of this scheme by providing free noon meals for children in the panchayat union in 1956. It was in 1982 that the then Chief minister of the state, MG Ramachandran, launched the scheme all over the state under the banner, nutritious "Mid-day meals.
Although it was initially termed as a act of "Populism" by the media and the central government, the success of the scheme made them hail the project. The success was so spectacular that in 1995, the then Indian Finance minister Manmohan Singh hailed the success of the project and suggested that the scheme be implemented all over the country.
Today the scheme is followed with great vigour in all states. Meals are provided from Monday to Friday. Only Tamil Nadu provides free meals all through the week. Also in Tamil Nadu, meals are provided for the handicapped and pregnant women.
The success of this project is seen from the tremendous increase in the literacy rates in Tamil Nadu. States that faithfully implement the scheme see its benefits.
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