Students studying in madrasas imparting mainstream education, will be provided mid-day meals by the Centre. The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh. The Midday Meal Scheme is a school meal programme of the Government of India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide.

After addressing the annual conference of state minorities commissions, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi spoke to reporters and said that he had held a meeting with representatives of such madrasas yesterday to discuss the issue and urged them to come up with more suggestions in this regard.

About the meeting

The Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) said the decision to provide mid-day meal was taken during the meeting of the general body of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MEAF) held on December 29, 2016. During the meeting, the MAEF general body had also decided to consider grant-in-aid scheme for such madrasas.

(Read: Delhi government to focus on skill-based education: More vocational training centres to be set up)

Madrasas very much a part of India

“The madrasas which provide mainstream education like science, maths, we should help them, give mid-day meal there. We took a decision over a week ago,” Naqvi said. He said the Ministry has been discussing the issue with representatives of various such madrasas and urged them to offer suggestions in this regard.

Naqvi said it was wrong to think that madrasas were not part of India and asserted most of them are doing a good job. The conference was attended by National Commission for Minorities

source”cnbc”