Idli-Sambar to be Served in Delhi Government School Mid-Day Meals; New Menu Implemented

Students in Delhi government schools will now be served Idli-Sambar one day a week. A new menu for meals provided under the PM Poshan Scheme has been released, and some existing dishes have been replaced.

Delhi School Mid-Day Meal: The mid-day meal menu for students in Delhi government schools has been revised. Children will now be served Idli-Sambar once a week. The Directorate of Education has issued the new menu for meals provided under the PM Poshan Scheme, replacing some older dishes. This new menu will be implemented in all government and government-aided schools in Delhi that fall under the ambit of the PM Poshan Scheme.

New 6-Day Mid-Day Meal Menu

According to the order issued by the Directorate of Education, students will now receive different meals on a six-day rotational basis under the PM Poshan Scheme. The new menu includes Puri-Chana, Rice-Dal, and Kadhi, alongside Idli-Sambar. The Directorate has instructed schools and meal-providing agencies to make the necessary preparations in accordance with the new menu. A deadline of August 24 has been set for introducing Idli-Sambar, while other changes are to be implemented with immediate effect.

The new 6-day menu will be as follows:

Day 1: Puri, black gram (kala chana) gravy, and mashed vegetables
Day 2: Idli and Sambar
Day 3: Rice, chickpeas (chhole), and mashed vegetables
Day 4: Puri, chickpeas (chhole), and mashed vegetables
Day 5: Rice and Dal (lentils)
Day 6: Rice and Kadhi

Additionally, recommendations have been made to replace Ragi Halwa (from the old menu) with wheat flour and chana masala, and to replace vegetable daliya (broken wheat porridge) with jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet).

Two-week timeframe for Idli-Sambar

The Directorate of Education has issued instructions for the immediate implementation of the new menu, covering the first day as well as the third through sixth days. However, schools and the concerned agencies have been granted a maximum of two weeks to introduce Idli-Sambar. According to the department, preparing Idli-Sambar requires specialized equipment, specific ingredients, necessary infrastructure, and trained staff; hence, the additional time allotted for its rollout. Empanelled NGOs and centralized kitchen agencies have been directed to ensure that Idli-Sambar is served in schools by August 24. No further extensions are expected to be granted beyond this deadline.

Uniform meals across all schools not mandatory

The Directorate of Education has clarified that it is not mandatory for an NGO or centralized kitchen agency to serve the exact same meal to all schools on a given day. Depending on factors such as ingredient availability, logistical constraints, and other requirements, different dishes from the approved menu may be served at different schools. Nevertheless, every school must adhere to the full six-day revised menu. In other words, while a specific school might serve one of the menu's dishes on a particular day, the complete six-day meal cycle must incorporate all the prescribed options.