Mid Day Meal Scheme - a unique and popular Program for the nation's poor and hungry kids has continued to be in news for all the wrong reasons for a long long time. This Program has been ridden with poor infrastructure, lack of trained personnel, poor quality of food, lack of hygiene, very little monitoring, absence of accountability, poor community participation, zero social audits, large scale corruption, etc. In some areas the Program is yet to take off even after twelve years for lack of proper infrastructure such as ingredients storage area, cooking aids, cooking area and personnel. No wonder news trickling in of kids falling sick after MDMS food consumption have continued to trickle in from several parts of the country. And now the worse has started happening : kids have started dying from such food. The last week's horror in Chapra appears to be the last nail in the coffin as far as MDMS's functional/operational credibility is concerned.
The government's apathy towards the Scheme's implementation has run in for too long now and the rot that has set in during this period is now very deep. For course correction and reinforcements, Quality Assurance (QA) appears to be one of the critical areas (proper infrastructure, meaningful community participation, sytemic accountability, etc. may be the others) that needs a comprehensive review and revamp under Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) at both State and Central levels. QA in this Program needs to be relooked at from an absolutely fresh perspective. The devil is in the detail. The more detailed and drilled down are the processes the better considering that health and human lives are really on stake here.
To the extent possible, MDMS's QA processes need to be standardised, clearly defined, documented, complied with, reported in time and be continuously improved. QA revamp, here, needs to include all processes/sub-processes and timelines critical to successful execution of the Program along with clearly defined and assigned roles and responsibilities of personnel/agencies involved. The QA process should also include standardised reporting (MIS) of the job done on a daily/weekly basis for collating data and for ensuring compliance. The documented standardised processes must clearly address what, where and how the sub-processes e.g. ingredients sourcing / storing / cooking / feeding / quality sampling of raw ingredients-finished food / cleaning / housekeeping in cooking area / hygiene maintenance by personnel and kids / serving of food / maintenance of utensils, equipments, cooking aids, feeding wares / etc., are to be carried out.
The government's apathy towards the Scheme's implementation has run in for too long now and the rot that has set in during this period is now very deep. For course correction and reinforcements, Quality Assurance (QA) appears to be one of the critical areas (proper infrastructure, meaningful community participation, sytemic accountability, etc. may be the others) that needs a comprehensive review and revamp under Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) at both State and Central levels. QA in this Program needs to be relooked at from an absolutely fresh perspective. The devil is in the detail. The more detailed and drilled down are the processes the better considering that health and human lives are really on stake here.
To the extent possible, MDMS's QA processes need to be standardised, clearly defined, documented, complied with, reported in time and be continuously improved. QA revamp, here, needs to include all processes/sub-processes and timelines critical to successful execution of the Program along with clearly defined and assigned roles and responsibilities of personnel/agencies involved. The QA process should also include standardised reporting (MIS) of the job done on a daily/weekly basis for collating data and for ensuring compliance. The documented standardised processes must clearly address what, where and how the sub-processes e.g. ingredients sourcing / storing / cooking / feeding / quality sampling of raw ingredients-finished food / cleaning / housekeeping in cooking area / hygiene maintenance by personnel and kids / serving of food / maintenance of utensils, equipments, cooking aids, feeding wares / etc., are to be carried out.
Another essential component
of the QA document would be the clearly defined daily food menu, quality
specifications for raw ingredients, standard recipes with defined usage
quantities of ingredients per unit weight of food, standardised specifications for the storage, kitchen and feeding areas - infrastructure, cooking equipments/utensils, feeding wares, etc. periodicity of quality checks
(which needs to be daily in any case), standards of hygiene, required skill level, training and
retraining of personnel involved, etc.
A key section of the QA will include clearly defined and assigned roles and responsibilities of personnel and agencies involved in carrying out the sourcing, sampling tasks, storing, quality checks, cooking and feeding, cleaning and hygiene maintenance, periodic reporting and analysis, monitoring, compliance, grievance redressal, social audit and course correction. Roles and responsibilities section will include who will do what and in what time will the tasks have to be done. For standardised performance measurement of personnel involved, uniform parameters and targets – both quantitative and qualitative would have to be defined as an important aspect of this QA process. The annual standardised assigned qualitative and quantitative targets for the personnel, agencies, officials and community members in committees involved in implementation and monitoring of this scheme could form the other important area of this MDMS QA process.
A standardised but simplified complaint filing and feedback mechanism (along with something akin to a whistle blower policy that is easy to understand and operate by the beneficiaries - parents, students and community members will also have to be inbuilt into the QA process wherein the parents, students and community members can file their complaints without fear, delay and any complexity. A single window, time-bound, well disseminated, grievance/complaint redressal mechanism with earmarked officials and assigned responsibilities to address such issues within a given time frame will also have to be a part of this mechanism.
Well defined monitoring, controlling and corrective action processes along with clearly defined penalties and other consequences against non-performance, non-compliance and dereliction of duty by the government officials involved (across the chain of command) in this process would form the other sections of the QA of this Scheme. Non-performance of assigned responsibilities by members from public and civil society in monitoring committee would also have to be defined and included in the remaining part of QA process. Lastly, code of ethics will have to be relooked and redefined in this whole process to bring in a certain sense of propriety, confidence and integrity.
It will serve well if clearly defined investigation and enquiry process - limited to the scope of this MDMS Program with appropriate timelines attached to it is also included as a part of the overall QA process. This section must include who and how the enquiry will be conducted and in what time and also affix accountability of the personnel involved in this process. Given the specific nature of this Program where human lives and health are at stake, punishments can not be of routine nature. The penal clauses must be stringent and decisive (upto dismissal from service) against defaulting and non-compliant officials. This would not only ensure accountability of personnel involved in administering of this scheme
but also act as a deterrent against omissions and commissions.
All in all, standardising specifications and processes, plugging the gaping holes, removing ambiguities, assigning defined roles and responsibilities, setting timelines and achievable milestones, ensuring compliance, using information technology in managing the overall process and holding officials accountable are some important interventions required to bring this scheme back on track. Of course, QA is just one part to strengthen the delivery of MDMS that is doable and deliverable within a given time frame. Larger linked issues of political will, reform and restructuring in bureaucracy, tightening of institutional delivery mechanism, public participation in governance, community oversight, transparency and accountability are the other things to need to be addressed as well.
It appears that some in the bureaucracy believe and are resigned to the fact that such possible collateral damage may continue to happen under the present scheme of things, given the scale and expanse of MDMS, illiteracy and ignorance amongst the poor, severe resource constraints, poor delivery structure / mechanism, political interference, etc. After all, this is a mammoth program. What more can the bureaucracy and officials do. But the moot question remains….is welfare scheme’s delivery and its successful implementation somebody else’s baby?? Who has signed up for planning, deciding, controlling and/or delivering the same? Who gets paid by the hard working taxpayer for ensuring and delivering of goods and services to the poor amongst them?
The nature, structure, challenges, compensation, etc. that go with a government service is all in the public domain and is known to every new joinee before he or she decides to join any government service. Still people line up, compete, willingly join the services and pledge to serve the nation as a matter of personal choice and pride. And this is great by the way. Later, if some of them find the task of delivering services too ominous and too burdensome to handle with political interference and sytemic ills adding to their woes, then, it is better for them to step aside (as many conscientious do) than holding on to it and not being able to contribute. Else, how would one justify remaining in service and continuing to enjoy the compensation and perks without delivering?
Today, the governance structure in our country treats both – a hero and a zero, alike. Comprehensive reform and restructuring must address this issue by introducing widely accepted performance enhancing tools such as mutual realistic goal setting, objective performance measurement on quantifiable and qualitative targets, system of rewards / recognition and punishment to encourage performance, and so on and so forth. Moreover, the remnants of colonial past and its hangover over bureaucracy needs to go because it no more serves the interests of British masters and presides over the natives here. The natives of then are the sovereign and masters of today. The bureaucracy is there to serve and not to rule in the name of colonial rulers as in the past. The governance structure has to reflect the distinction between those times and today. The governance structure and system must reflect the present day reality of our democratic polity.
As such, the governance system in its present form has little or no accountability on the ground. Whether delivering to people’s satisfaction or not delivering at all, the system allows one to retain the employment along with the compensation and perks - all at the cost and burden of hardworking taxpayers. The time has come to ask such non-performing officials to step aside, to look for some easy jobs elsewhere and to let the capable and the doers within the system or outside to step in and start delivering, as the nation is on the move. It can’t wait anymore.
Just the other day, one of the panellists - incidentally a retired IAS officer and a woman (with all due respect) on a Karan Thapar show on CNN-IBN channel had this to say as her last word….”more horror stories will continue but Mid-Day Meal Scheme must continue.” This retired bureaucrat had the audacity to make such an atrocious comment on a national channel. Did she really know what she was talking about? I am sure she did…. that such horror stories involve possible deaths of our innocent young children. Unbelievable!!
To some it may sound a fairly realistic reflection of the present day reality. Agreed, MDMS is a great interventional Program to address malnutrition of children and school enrolment issues and it MUST continue but such horrifying incidents will also continue to happen??? With all due respects, Sorry Ma’am, this is completely unacceptable. Absolutely NOT!! Not anymore. Things need to be delivered. We are not living in 70s and 80s anymore. India has moved on.
Well, would she have dared to comment like this if there was even an iota of a possibility of any of her loved ones losing his or her life by consuming such a meal served under MDMS in the school? Would she have bothered to even send her child or grandchild to that school even if there was a small hint of such a risk? Not the least, obviously!! But she expects the poor villager to send his or her kid to school and consume the MDM food irrespective of the possible dangers of doing so in the present scheme of things.
However, this also sums up the present day state of affairs of such Schemes/Programs and also sums up the present day reality of how some in the bureaucracy and in governance structure approach welfare delivery with little or no regard for even possible loss of precious life/lives of the poor and hungry. This is really the malaise in the system…the attitude, the approach and the stark apathy. This nation has to rid of such a systemic malaise sooner rather than later. Accepting the fact that many in the bureaucracy do not subscribe to the ridiculous view of this retired bureaucrat but what if this particular officer (being an IAS officer) or her ilk was at the helm of affairs – responsible for MDMS implementation - either in the State or at Centre today.
Would any government, today, in the East West have carried on with such a welfare scheme ridden with such gaping holes and such inherent accompanying risks/dangers? Would any sensible mind advise the government to carry on with this welfare scheme in its present state of affairs and then wait for such horror stories to strike us at some location or the other??
If knowledge and awareness exists in the government that there is a possible risk of even one loss of life anywhere in the country under this Scheme implementation, then no matter what, it would not be prudent for the government/s to carry on with this Scheme in its current avatar. Wouldn’t it be a sensible thing to take a short breath here, to move a few steps back, to put the scheme on temporary hold, to reflect and do some introspection, to accept past mistakes, to go for a time bound review, to apply the learning from such mistakes, to identify issues and gaps, to bring the concerned players on board with required sense of ownership, to restructure the MDMS organisation, to re-engineer processes and systems, to revamp the delivery infrastructure - all within a pre-determined time frame (as hunger doesn’t wait much) and driven by a marked sense of urgency.
It would then make sense to restart this unique Scheme which would have eliminated potential risks and dangers of the past by then and which would also then be supported by a stable and robust delivery mechanism in place, ably supported by a trained and informed workforce, proper infrastructure –tools, equipments, space, etc., and aided by a guiding standards of desired performance on the ground. This would ensure much better results in field that can help be a great trust and confidence building tool between the people and the governance apparatus which is so necessary for achieving the objectives of this MDM scheme.
As such, there is news trickling in from different corners of the country of school kids refusing to eat Mid-Day meals served in their schools considering the risks involved. In some cases, there are reports of parents even withdrawing their kids from the schools as a preventive step. Isn’t it time to for people at the top in government set the ball rolling without losing any more time, get everybody concerned on board and initiate the MDMS review/revamp on a war footing right away? There is no scope left for any delay. Let’s hope and pray they do it today because the poor little hungry kids are waiting for their meal. For millions hungry, a mid-day meal at school is the only food they have for the day.
A key section of the QA will include clearly defined and assigned roles and responsibilities of personnel and agencies involved in carrying out the sourcing, sampling tasks, storing, quality checks, cooking and feeding, cleaning and hygiene maintenance, periodic reporting and analysis, monitoring, compliance, grievance redressal, social audit and course correction. Roles and responsibilities section will include who will do what and in what time will the tasks have to be done. For standardised performance measurement of personnel involved, uniform parameters and targets – both quantitative and qualitative would have to be defined as an important aspect of this QA process. The annual standardised assigned qualitative and quantitative targets for the personnel, agencies, officials and community members in committees involved in implementation and monitoring of this scheme could form the other important area of this MDMS QA process.
A standardised but simplified complaint filing and feedback mechanism (along with something akin to a whistle blower policy that is easy to understand and operate by the beneficiaries - parents, students and community members will also have to be inbuilt into the QA process wherein the parents, students and community members can file their complaints without fear, delay and any complexity. A single window, time-bound, well disseminated, grievance/complaint redressal mechanism with earmarked officials and assigned responsibilities to address such issues within a given time frame will also have to be a part of this mechanism.
Well defined monitoring, controlling and corrective action processes along with clearly defined penalties and other consequences against non-performance, non-compliance and dereliction of duty by the government officials involved (across the chain of command) in this process would form the other sections of the QA of this Scheme. Non-performance of assigned responsibilities by members from public and civil society in monitoring committee would also have to be defined and included in the remaining part of QA process. Lastly, code of ethics will have to be relooked and redefined in this whole process to bring in a certain sense of propriety, confidence and integrity.
It will serve well if clearly defined investigation and enquiry process - limited to the scope of this MDMS Program with appropriate timelines attached to it is also included as a part of the overall QA process. This section must include who and how the enquiry will be conducted and in what time and also affix accountability of the personnel involved in this process. Given the specific nature of this Program where human lives and health are at stake, punishments can not be of routine nature. The penal clauses must be stringent and decisive (upto dismissal from service) against defaulting and non-compliant officials.
All in all, standardising specifications and processes, plugging the gaping holes, removing ambiguities, assigning defined roles and responsibilities, setting timelines and achievable milestones, ensuring compliance, using information technology in managing the overall process and holding officials accountable are some important interventions required to bring this scheme back on track. Of course, QA is just one part to strengthen the delivery of MDMS that is doable and deliverable within a given time frame. Larger linked issues of political will, reform and restructuring in bureaucracy, tightening of institutional delivery mechanism, public participation in governance, community oversight, transparency and accountability are the other things to need to be addressed as well.
It appears that some in the bureaucracy believe and are resigned to the fact that such possible collateral damage may continue to happen under the present scheme of things, given the scale and expanse of MDMS, illiteracy and ignorance amongst the poor, severe resource constraints, poor delivery structure / mechanism, political interference, etc. After all, this is a mammoth program. What more can the bureaucracy and officials do. But the moot question remains….is welfare scheme’s delivery and its successful implementation somebody else’s baby?? Who has signed up for planning, deciding, controlling and/or delivering the same? Who gets paid by the hard working taxpayer for ensuring and delivering of goods and services to the poor amongst them?
The nature, structure, challenges, compensation, etc. that go with a government service is all in the public domain and is known to every new joinee before he or she decides to join any government service. Still people line up, compete, willingly join the services and pledge to serve the nation as a matter of personal choice and pride. And this is great by the way. Later, if some of them find the task of delivering services too ominous and too burdensome to handle with political interference and sytemic ills adding to their woes, then, it is better for them to step aside (as many conscientious do) than holding on to it and not being able to contribute. Else, how would one justify remaining in service and continuing to enjoy the compensation and perks without delivering?
Today, the governance structure in our country treats both – a hero and a zero, alike. Comprehensive reform and restructuring must address this issue by introducing widely accepted performance enhancing tools such as mutual realistic goal setting, objective performance measurement on quantifiable and qualitative targets, system of rewards / recognition and punishment to encourage performance, and so on and so forth. Moreover, the remnants of colonial past and its hangover over bureaucracy needs to go because it no more serves the interests of British masters and presides over the natives here. The natives of then are the sovereign and masters of today. The bureaucracy is there to serve and not to rule in the name of colonial rulers as in the past. The governance structure has to reflect the distinction between those times and today. The governance structure and system must reflect the present day reality of our democratic polity.
As such, the governance system in its present form has little or no accountability on the ground. Whether delivering to people’s satisfaction or not delivering at all, the system allows one to retain the employment along with the compensation and perks - all at the cost and burden of hardworking taxpayers. The time has come to ask such non-performing officials to step aside, to look for some easy jobs elsewhere and to let the capable and the doers within the system or outside to step in and start delivering, as the nation is on the move. It can’t wait anymore.
Just the other day, one of the panellists - incidentally a retired IAS officer and a woman (with all due respect) on a Karan Thapar show on CNN-IBN channel had this to say as her last word….”more horror stories will continue but Mid-Day Meal Scheme must continue.” This retired bureaucrat had the audacity to make such an atrocious comment on a national channel. Did she really know what she was talking about? I am sure she did…. that such horror stories involve possible deaths of our innocent young children. Unbelievable!!
To some it may sound a fairly realistic reflection of the present day reality. Agreed, MDMS is a great interventional Program to address malnutrition of children and school enrolment issues and it MUST continue but such horrifying incidents will also continue to happen??? With all due respects, Sorry Ma’am, this is completely unacceptable. Absolutely NOT!! Not anymore. Things need to be delivered. We are not living in 70s and 80s anymore. India has moved on.
Well, would she have dared to comment like this if there was even an iota of a possibility of any of her loved ones losing his or her life by consuming such a meal served under MDMS in the school? Would she have bothered to even send her child or grandchild to that school even if there was a small hint of such a risk? Not the least, obviously!! But she expects the poor villager to send his or her kid to school and consume the MDM food irrespective of the possible dangers of doing so in the present scheme of things.
However, this also sums up the present day state of affairs of such Schemes/Programs and also sums up the present day reality of how some in the bureaucracy and in governance structure approach welfare delivery with little or no regard for even possible loss of precious life/lives of the poor and hungry. This is really the malaise in the system…the attitude, the approach and the stark apathy. This nation has to rid of such a systemic malaise sooner rather than later. Accepting the fact that many in the bureaucracy do not subscribe to the ridiculous view of this retired bureaucrat but what if this particular officer (being an IAS officer) or her ilk was at the helm of affairs – responsible for MDMS implementation - either in the State or at Centre today.
Would any government, today, in the East West have carried on with such a welfare scheme ridden with such gaping holes and such inherent accompanying risks/dangers? Would any sensible mind advise the government to carry on with this welfare scheme in its present state of affairs and then wait for such horror stories to strike us at some location or the other??
If knowledge and awareness exists in the government that there is a possible risk of even one loss of life anywhere in the country under this Scheme implementation, then no matter what, it would not be prudent for the government/s to carry on with this Scheme in its current avatar. Wouldn’t it be a sensible thing to take a short breath here, to move a few steps back, to put the scheme on temporary hold, to reflect and do some introspection, to accept past mistakes, to go for a time bound review, to apply the learning from such mistakes, to identify issues and gaps, to bring the concerned players on board with required sense of ownership, to restructure the MDMS organisation, to re-engineer processes and systems, to revamp the delivery infrastructure - all within a pre-determined time frame (as hunger doesn’t wait much) and driven by a marked sense of urgency.
It would then make sense to restart this unique Scheme which would have eliminated potential risks and dangers of the past by then and which would also then be supported by a stable and robust delivery mechanism in place, ably supported by a trained and informed workforce, proper infrastructure –tools, equipments, space, etc., and aided by a guiding standards of desired performance on the ground. This would ensure much better results in field that can help be a great trust and confidence building tool between the people and the governance apparatus which is so necessary for achieving the objectives of this MDM scheme.
As such, there is news trickling in from different corners of the country of school kids refusing to eat Mid-Day meals served in their schools considering the risks involved. In some cases, there are reports of parents even withdrawing their kids from the schools as a preventive step. Isn’t it time to for people at the top in government set the ball rolling without losing any more time, get everybody concerned on board and initiate the MDMS review/revamp on a war footing right away? There is no scope left for any delay. Let’s hope and pray they do it today because the poor little hungry kids are waiting for their meal. For millions hungry, a mid-day meal at school is the only food they have for the day.
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