The inflation in India is causing school kitchens to struggle: A balancing act in midday meals.

India's persistently high food inflation is reducing the availability of meals in the country's school kitchens, as government-funded meal programs struggle with the increased costs of vegetables, fruits, and legumes. This nearly three-decade-old program, initially intended to attract poorer children to schools with education and basic nutrition, clearly demonstrates the impact of inflation on the most vulnerable in the world's fastest-growing major economy and the associated growing inequality in the country. Interviews with teachers from four states, several families, and researchers reveal that the meal program's budgets have not been adjusted to the rising food prices for two years. This forces schools to significantly cut back on ingredients. A program that covers around 120 million children up to the 8th grade in public and supported schools must therefore cope with stagnant budgets. Teachers and school administrations are tasked with ensuring that the quality of the food provided is maintained. Dipa Sinha, an independent development economist and researcher for the 'Right For Food' campaign, explained that the budget for the midday meal program is not regularly adjusted for inflation, which affects the quality of the meals. Although the government provides food grains for free, this does not compensate for the cutbacks in other nutritious ingredients such as vegetables, legumes, milk, and eggs. The case of eight-year-old Ranjit Nayak from the village of Ghugudipada highlights the issue. His family barely manages to make ends meet, making the school meal often his first meal of the day. Recently, however, the increased food prices have left an unwelcome aftertaste. Another reason the quality of the meals suffers is the ongoing price rise of cooking oil, vegetables, and potatoes, according to Chhabi Nayak, head of the local school management committee. Too often, cheaper varieties of lentils have to be purchased, and nutritious vegetables like carrots have to be omitted to stay within budget. According to the central bank's report, India's food inflation averaged 6.3% between June 2020 and June 2024, causing many schools to struggle to simultaneously maintain a high level of quality and meet the required calorie count. An increase in budget allocations has been postponed due to upcoming elections.