Nepal's Mid-Day meal keeps children in School

Jul 10, 2026

Makwanpur (Nepal), July 10 (ANI): As the bell rings for the tiffin break, students quickly line up carrying lunch boxes, plates, or whatever they can find to collect their meal. For many, this daily lunch break is more than just a chance to eat—it is one of the biggest reasons they come to school every day. Among them is Shishir Praja, a fifth-grade student at Shree Bal Jivan Jyoti Secondary School in Makwanpur, a region home to the marginalized Chepang community. The Mid-Day Meal Program, locally known as Diwa Khaja Karyakram, is one of Nepal's flagship social welfare initiatives, aimed at improving education, nutrition, and poverty reduction by providing free meals to children in community schools. At Shree Bal Jivan Jyoti Secondary School, around 130 students receive one nutritious meal every school day. The menu rotates through five different options each week, while a non-vegetarian meal is served once every month. Meals are prepared in a modest makeshift kitchen beneath a staircase and are inspected daily by the school nurse to ensure quality and hygiene. Schools are also encouraged to include eggs, milk, pulses, and seasonal vegetables to improve the nutritional value of the meals. The government currently allocates USD 0.13 per student per day for the program, with higher funding provided to schools in Nepal's remote and far-western districts. The Government of Nepal made the Mid-Day Meal Program mandatory in all basic-level community schools (ECED to Class 5) by creating a dedicated budget line in FY 2020/21, expanding it from a targeted scheme to a nationwide program. Under the School Education Sector Plan (2022–2032), the government aims to extend coverage to Class 8 and benefit around 5.3 million students by 2032.