Mid-day meal: Students in Punjab ‘disliking khichri’, schools demand variety in menu

“Following feedback from districts in state, it has been noted that students are not liking khichdi. On the orders of DGSE, schools can now serve dal and rice instead of khichdi,” says the order.

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However, the government school heads are now questioning the logic behind the move as dal and rice are already being served for two days in a week as per the prescribed menu. The school principals are rather demanding more variety in mid day meal menu.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Kusum Lata, principal, Government senior secondary school, Sarabha Nagar Ludhiana said, “As per current menu, it is dal and rice on Monday and Saturday. Even on Friday, it is chapati with seasonal vegetable. On Thursday, we serve curry rice and on Tuesday it is chickpeas (black chana) with chapati. Except sweet dish ‘kheer’ on Friday, there is no variety for students in menu and they start bringing lunch from home. There is not much difference between khichdi and dal/rice. More variety in menu will be better.”

“Majority of students in our government schools are from less privileged society and financially weak backgrounds. They are non-Punjabis and majority come from migrant families. They need nutrition but taste and variety is equally needed to make them eat mid-day meal. Now it is dal/rice three days a week which is too monotonous and boring. So even rajma/rice would have been better than dal/rice,” said another principal.

Prabhcharan Singh, general manager, Mid-Day meal society said, “Dal and rice are tastier than khichdi and also khichdi is difficult to eat without curd or pickle. Keeping in mind the nutrition, menu has been changed but we will try to accommodate suggestions.”