नामांकन, उपस्थिति और ठहराव को बढ़ाने और साथ ही बच्चों की पोषण स्थिति में सुधार करने की दृष्टि से, एक केंद्र प्रायोजित योजना ‘प्राथमिक शिक्षा के लिए पोषण संबंधी सहायता का राष्ट्रीय कार्यक्रम (एनपी-एनएसपीई)’ 15 अगस्त 1995 को शुरू की गई थी।
इस योजना का उद्देश्य भारत में अधिकांश बच्चों की दो गंभीर समस्याओं भूख और शिक्षा का समाधान करना है-
- बाल वाटिका और सरकारी और सरकारी सहायता प्राप्त स्कूलों और विशेष प्रशिक्षण केंद्रों (एसटीसी) में कक्षा I-VIII में पढ़ने वाले बच्चों की पोषण स्थिति में सुधार करना।
- वंचित वर्गों के गरीब बच्चों को अधिक नियमित रूप से स्कूल जाने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करना और उन्हें कक्षा की गतिविधियों पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने में मदद करना।
- गर्मी की छुट्टियों के दौरान और आपदा के समय सूखा प्रभावित क्षेत्रों में प्रारंभिक स्तर के बच्चों को पोषण संबंधी सहायता प्रदान करना।
प्रत्येक विद्यालय जहां मिड डे मील पकाया जाता है विद्यालय को कुकिंग काॅस्ट के रूप में प्रति विद्यार्थी एक निश्चित दर से भुगतान किया जाता है । प्राथमिक एवं उच्च प्राथमिक कक्षाओं के लिये यह दर अलग अलग होती है। इसमें तेल, मसाले, सब्जियां, फल, दालें, इन्धन आदि की लागत शामिल होती है। समय समय पर कुकिंग काॅस्ट की दर में वृद्धि की गयी है जो इस प्रकार हैः-
Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2011
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | |||
| Non-NER States (75:25) | NER-State (90:10) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | ||
| Primary | Rs. 2.89 | Rs. 2.17 | Rs. 0.75 | Rs. 2.60 | Rs. 0.29 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 4.33 | Rs. 3.25 | Rs. 1.08 | Rs. 3.90 | Rs. 0.43 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2012
| Revised Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2012 | |||||
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | |||
| Non-NER States (75:25) | NER-State (90:10) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | ||
| Primary | Rs. 3.11 | Rs. 2.33 | Rs. 0.78 | Rs. 2.80 | Rs. 0.31 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 4.65 | Rs. 3.49 | Rs. 1.16 | Rs. 4.19 | Rs. 0.47 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2013
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | |||
| Non-NER States (75:25) | NER-State (90:10) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | ||
| Primary | Rs. 3.34 | Rs.2.51 | Rs. 0.83 | Rs. 3.01 | Rs. 0.33 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 5.00 | Rs. 3.75 | Rs. 1.25 | Rs. 4.50 | Rs. 0.50 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2014
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | |||
| Non-NER States (75:25) | NER-State (90:10) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | ||
| Primary | Rs.3.59 | Rs.2.69 | Rs.0.90 | Rs.3.23 | Rs.0.36 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 5.38 | Rs. 4.04 | Rs. 1.34 | Rs. 4.84 | Rs. 0.54 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2015
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States (60:40) | NER-States (90:10) & 3 Himalayan | All UTs (100%) | ||||
| States | ||||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.3.86 | Rs.2.32 | Rs.1.54 | Rs.3.47 | Rs.0.39 | Rs.3.86 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 5.78 | Rs. 3.47 | Rs. 2.31 | Rs. 5.20 | Rs. 0.58 | Rs. 5.78 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 1.07.2016
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States (60:40) | NER-States (90:10) & 3 Himalayan | All UTs (100%) | ||||
| States | ||||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.4.13 | Rs.2.48 | Rs.1.65 | Rs.3.72 | Rs.0.41 | Rs.4.13 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 6.18 | Rs. 3.71 | Rs. 2.47 | Rs. 5.56 | Rs. 0.62 | Rs. 6.18 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 01.04.2018
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States and UTs with Legislature(60:40) | NER-States (90:10) & 3 Himalayan | UTs without Legislature (100%) (100%) | ||||
| States | ||||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.4.35 | Rs.2.61 | Rs.1.74 | Rs.3.91 | Rs.0.44 | Rs.4.35 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 6.51 | Rs. 3.91 | Rs. 2.60 | Rs. 5.86 | Rs. 0.65 | Rs. 6.51 |
Revised Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 01.04.2019
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States and UTs with Legislature(60:40) | NER-States (90:10) and 3 Himalayan States | UTs without Legislature (100%) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.4.48 | Rs.2.69 | Rs.1.79 | Rs.4.03 | Rs.0.45 | Rs.4.48 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 6.71 | Rs. 4.03 | Rs. 2.68 | Rs. 6.04 | Rs. 0.67 | Rs. 6.71 |
Revised Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 01.04.2020
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States and UTs with Legislature (60:40) | NER-States (90:10) and 3 Himalayan States | UTs without Legislature (100%) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.4.97 | Rs.2.98 | Rs.1.99 | Rs.4.47 | Rs.0.50 | Rs.4.97 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 7.45 | Rs. 4.47 | Rs. 2.98 | Rs. 6.70 | Rs. 0.75 | Rs. 7.45 |
Revised Mid Day Meal Cooking cost per child per school day w.e.f. 01.10.2022
| Stage | Total Cost | Central-State Sharing | ||||
| Non-NER States and UTs with Legislature(60:40) | NER-States (90:10) and 3 Himalayan States | UTs without Legislature (100%) | ||||
| Central | State | Central | State | |||
| Primary | Rs.5.45 | Rs.3.27 | Rs.2.18 | Rs.4.91 | Rs.0.54 | Rs.5.45 |
| Upper Primary | Rs. 8.17 | Rs. 4.90 | Rs. 3.27 | Rs. 7.35 | Rs. 0.82 | Rs. 8.17 |