Andhra Pradesh government has renamed the Jagananna Gorumudda mid day meal scheme to Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme. The TDP government under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made this change as part of a full revamp of the state school lunch programme. The scheme now covers over 42,000 government schools and institutions and serves more than 30 lakh students across the state.
The mid day meal programme in Andhra Pradesh provides free cooked meals to students on school working days. The scheme was earlier known as Jagananna Gorumudda and has now been renamed to Dokka Seethamma Madhyahna Badi Bhojanam to honour the legendary philanthropist Dokka Seethamma, who was known for feeding thousands of hungry travellers in the 19th century.
Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme
The Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme is the new name of the school meal programme run by the Andhra Pradesh government. The scheme supplies free cooked meals on school working days for children in primary, upper primary and high school classes in government and government aided schools. It is run under the PM Poshan scheme of the central government with state support.
The state government has made several changes to improve the quality of food served to students. The coarse rice used earlier has been replaced with fine grain rice, and the cooking process has been standardised across all schools. Rice bags now carry QR codes and are sourced directly from government supply warehouses, which makes the supply chain clear and easy to track.
Here is the mid day meal menu for students under the Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme:-
| Monday | Rice, Egg curry, Chickpea |
| Tuesday | Puliohara, Tomato dal, Boiled egg |
| Wednesday | Vegetable Rice, Aloo Kurma, Boiled Egg, Chickpea |
| Thursday | Kichidi, Tomato chutney, Boiled egg |
| Friday | Rice, Asparagus, Boiled egg, Chickpea |
| Saturday | Rice, Sambar, and Sweet Pongal |
The state government has also added new meal items like vegetarian biryani to keep students interested in the school meal. The menu has been designed to give students a balanced and nutritious meal during school hours.
Implementation and Progress
The revamped scheme covers 42,230 government schools and colleges across Andhra Pradesh. More than 30 lakh students depend on the mid day meal for their daily nutrition. As per the PM Poshan portal, the scheme currently covers 43,013 schools with a total of 28,94,229 students.
The School Education Department has tied up with the International Innovation Corps to modernise the scheme using technology. Data analytics and artificial intelligence are being used to track student attendance, check nutritional benchmarks and reduce operational costs. This helps the department make sure the meal reaches the right number of students while keeping quality standards consistent.
Background of the Scheme
The mid day meal programme in Andhra Pradesh was launched in January 2003 for children in primary classes I to V. It was extended to classes I to VIII in 2008 and later to classes IX and X with 100% state share. The programme was further extended to special training centres under NCLP from 2010 and model schools from 2013-14.
The scheme was earlier known as Jagananna Gorumudda and was renamed to Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme by the current government. The change was made to honour Dokka Seethamma and to mark a fresh start for the school meal programme in the state.
Highlights of Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme |
| Launched By | Andhra Pradesh government |
| Beneficiaries | Students of government and aided schools |
| Coverage | 42,230 government schools and colleges |
| Students Covered | Over 30 lakh students |
| Official Website | pmposhan.ap.gov.in |
FAQ's
What is the new name of Jagananna Gorumudda scheme?
The Jagananna Gorumudda scheme has been renamed to Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme by the Andhra Pradesh government.
How many students benefit from the scheme?
More than 30 lakh students studying in government schools and colleges across Andhra Pradesh benefit from the scheme.
What is the official website of the scheme?
The official website of the scheme is pmposhan.ap.gov.in.
The menu of the mid day meal has a flavour which depicts that makers of the menu have no respect for the culture and various traditions of this great country. Except Saturday, every day there is special item for non vegetarians, but what about those who are vegetarian? Do they have no right to have special vegetarian items. Is this country Bharat or some Western country or Muslim country. Only in Muslim or Christian dominated countries, such things happen. This is a Hindu majority country which has a large chunk of people are vegetarian. Why are they not considered while finalizing the menu for the mid day meals.
The menu of the mid day meal has a flavour which depicts that makers of the menu have no respect for the culture and various traditions of this great country. Except Saturday, every day there is special item for non vegetarians, but what about those who are vegetarian? Do they have no right to have special vegetarian items. Is this country Bharat or some Western country or Muslim country. Only in Muslim or Christian dominated countries, such things happen. This is a Hindu majority country which has a large chunk of people are vegetarian. Why are they not considered while finalizing the menu for the mid day meals.