Directorate of Mid Day Meal (MDM), Department of School Education, today signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Akshay Patra Foundation with an objective of providing pre-cooked meals to 15000 students studying in Government Schools of J&K.The MoU was signed by Project Director, MDM, Deep Raj and a senior representative from Akshay Patra.In the initial phase of MoU, two districts Jammu and Samba will be covered.To support the existing structure of the MDM scheme operational in J&K from the year 2004, Akshay Patra came forward to facilitate the directorate in eliminating classroom hunger by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the government schools and government-aided schools. Speaking on the occasion, Project Director, MDM revealed that directorate is committed to provide hygienic and nutritious cooked meals to all the eligible children across the UT of J&K.He further said that even during the Covid Lockdown period, dry ration was provided to the door steps and cooking cost was disbursed into bank accounts of children through DBT under Food Security Allowance.He also expressed gratitude to Principal Secretary School Education Department, B.K Singh for his constant guidance and relentless support.The Project Director also extended gratitude to the members of Akshay Patra Foundation for taking a step forward to provide highly nutritious meals to the children here. Under Mid-Day Meal scheme, cooked meals are provided to students studying in elementary level classes from 1st to 8th.The MDMs guidelines envisage to provide cooked mid-day meal with 450 calories and 12 g of protein to every child at primary level and 700 calories and 20g of protein. The core objectives of the scheme are to improve the Nutritional status of the children in classes I- VIII, encouraging poor children belonging to disadvantaged sections to attend schools more regularly by providing them nutritional support.Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO headquartered in Bengaluru working to eliminate classroom hunger by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the government schools and government-aided schools. It also aims at countering malnutrition and supporting the right to education of socio-economically disadvantaged children.