India Midday Meal Scheme
Indian Central Government / State governments · India (national, with state variation) · 2002
Summary
India's Midday Meal Scheme became the largest school feeding program in the world. The staggered state rollout created a natural experiment allowing researchers to isolate effects from cross-state variation in timing. Enrollment and attendance rose substantially, particularly for girls—suggesting that daily meals addressed a key barrier to girls' schooling in contexts where families must weigh children's time allocation. The scheme is estimated to serve over 120 million children, making it a critical lens for understanding how in-school nutrition programs compare to cash transfers for educational outcomes.
Research question
"Does providing free cooked meals at school increase enrollment, attendance, and child nutrition?"
Methodology
Intervention
Cooked mid-day meals provided to all children in government primary schools nationwide
Assignment
Quasi-experimental (difference-in-differences exploiting staggered state rollout)
Sample size
~120 million children; district-level variation across states
Primary outcome
School enrollment; attendance; gender gap in education; child nutrition
Effect estimate
Enrollment: +14% in treatment states vs. untreated; attendance: +6 pp; gender gap in enrollment narrowed by ~23%; caloric intake improved for eligible children
Decision
Scheme made universal and permanent; Supreme Court ordered implementation in all states; WHO and UNICEF cited as model school feeding program
Result
Positive
Enrollment: +14% in treatment states vs. untreated; attendance: +6 pp; gender gap in enrollment narrowed by ~23%; caloric intake improved for eligible children
Evidence strength
Moderate
Quasi-experimental design; causal interpretation requires care.
Replication status
Partially replicated
Institution
Indian Central Government / State governments
Location
India (national, with state variation)
Year
2002
Policy area
International Development
Mechanism
Human capital