Contribution of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Increasing Enrolment and Retention in Schools: A Study in Nayapalli Region of Bhubaneswar

In this paper, an attempt is made to assess the extent to which the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM) has succeeded in contributing towards increasing enrolment and retention of primary school students of Nayapalli region of Bhubaneswar in Odisha. The study is based on primary data collected from five MDM schools of Nayapalli region and descriptive analysis has been used therein. It shows that MDM scheme has positively contributed towards enrolment and retention in primary schools in the study area. In majority of the cases, the number of pupils currently studying in a particular grade have stayed the same or have increased when compared to their year of enrolment in these schools and the fact that attendance in most cases has been consistent in the all the surveyed schools, testifies the positive effect of the meal scheme in enhancing enrolment and retention in the schools of the study area