Centre wants 'hand-washing' in school time-table

All elementary schools in the country covered under Midday Meal (MDM) scheme will henceforth have to allocate "enough" time for "hand-washing" to ensure that all students and teachers get adequate time to wash their hands "with soap" before having food. The new set of guidelines on food safety and hygiene issued by the Ministry of human resources and development (MHRD) also stipulates that the temperature of the mid-day meal, while being served, should be maintained at 65°C. Only 'double-fortified salt' and packed dals, salt, spices, condiments and oil with AGMARK stamp can be used to prepare midday meals at clean and hygienic kitchen. And food must be free from adulteration, contaminants, pest and infestation.

All elementary schools in the country covered under Midday Meal (MDM) scheme will henceforth have to allocate "enough" time for "hand-washing" to ensure that all students and teachers get adequate time to wash their hands "with soap" before having food. The new set of guidelines on food safety and hygiene issued by the Ministry of human resources and development (MHRD) also stipulates that the temperature of the mid-day meal, while being served, should be maintained at 65°C. Only 'double-fortified salt' and packed dals, salt, spices, condiments and oil with AGMARK stamp can be used to prepare midday meals at clean and hygienic kitchen. And food must be free from adulteration, contaminants, pest and infestation.

Is it part of the time-table?

According to the 15-page document, uploaded on MHRD website, "there should be a dedicated time within the daily time-table that will allow enough time for all children, cooks and teachers to wash their hands with soap."

Will this ensure safety?

The guideline also stipulates high level of hygiene and safety be followed in procurement of food ingredients, storage, preparation and serving, apart from water and food ingredient testing.

Any norms for cooks?

The cooks and helpers should wash hands after coughing, sneezing, using telephone, coming from toilets, smoking etc. They should "avoid certain hand habits like scratching nose, running finger through hair, rubbing eyes, ears and mouth, beard, parts of bodies," it says.

MDM, whom it covers?

Over 11 crore children from 12 lakh government and private-aided schools across country are covered under the Central-funded MDM scheme, which is world's largest school feeding programme.

What are the hiccups?

Says Prashant Redij of Maharashtra State School Principals' Association: "Though washing hands with soap is a nice idea, it would require more water. A large number of schools in the drought prone areas Vidarbha and Marathwada region of Maharashtra don't have that much water."

Why the new norms now?

Several cases of deaths and students falling ill, due to adulterated midday meal, were reported from across the country, prompting the MHRD to come out with stringent guidelines.

Centre wants 'hand-washing' in school time-table

The new stringent guidelines by the Ministry of human resources and development (MHRD) to schools serving mid-day meals are primarily based on provisions of the Food Safety and Standards, Regulations 2011 and also include earlier guidelines issued time to time. The states have been directed to conduct training for the school staff to sensitise them about implementing the guidelines.

Schools are also expected to have "zero energy cool chambers" which can be constructed "easily" with materials like brick, sand, bamboo, khus-khus/straw, gunny bag etc. "The chamber can keep the temperature 10-15 degree cooler than the outside temperature and maintain 90% humidity which is good to keep food safe in summers, states guidelines." Also, if cooks are down with fever, diarrhea or have skin or other infectious diseases, they must not cook food.

According to Prashant Redij of Maharashtra State School Principals Association says, "Nothing better than being provided with packaged grains and spices. We welcome this."

A principal from a Uttar Pradesh Zilla Parishad school, says, "It is unclear whether schools would be allocated money to buy soaps. This must be clarified as government and aided schools are not allowed to collect any fee from children."

Figure it out

* 10.45 crore children covered under MDM in 11.58 lakh schools

* More than 25.70 lakh cook-cum-helpers engaged by states/UTs

* 35,000 schools, 84 lakh children covered under MDM in Maha