Page 119 - Journeys Through Society-7

Wow Fact • The meals are served to all children at the same
time and they have to eat the meals together.
India is the largest democracy in the world Thus, the programme has helped to reduce caste
and the Constitution of India is one of the
most amazing constitutions in any and class prejudices.
democracy. • In many places, Dalit women have been employed
to cook and serve the meals.

Government Schemes • The scheme has helped in increasing school
enrolment and in maintaining regular attendance
The two ways in which the government has tried to
in the schools.
implement the provision of equality as enshrined in
the Constitution of India are—firstly through laws, Government programmes like midday meals help in
and, secondly, through implementing programmes or establishing equality among the school going children.
schemes to help the backward or disadvantaged
communities. AI Fact Technology Literacy
The aim of these schemes is to help improve the lives
Defence Minister, Rajanth Singh launched an Artificial
of those communities that have been discriminated Intelligence (AI) powered grievance management
against for centuries together. application in New Delhi on July 15, 2021, developed by
Ministry of Defence with the help of IIT Kanpur. This was
Mid-day Meal Scheme the first AI-based system developed to improve
One of the steps taken by the government to promote grievance redress in the Government of India.
equality is the introduction of the National
Programme for Nutritional Support to Primary Inequalities in Other Democratic Countries
Education, popularly known as the Midday Meal Social inequalities are not unique to India. We find
Scheme. It was first introduced in Tamil Nadu in the them in several other democratic countries as well.
1960s. For example, there is still some discrimination against
The success of the Midday Meal Scheme in Tamil Nadu African Americans in the USA. This is true even though
led to its introduction in the other states of India at the a civil rights movement in the 1950s led to the passing
direction of the Supreme Court. In 1996, the scheme of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbade
was revised to ensure provision of a midday meal of discrimination based on race, colour, religion or
adequate nutritional value. The benefits of the national origin. Hence, as in India, struggles for
scheme are seen on several fronts. equality are necessary in democratic countries across
• The programme has reduced social differences the world.
between communities as midday meals are served
to all children irrespective of their caste, class, Challenge of Democracy
creed and gender. No country can be described as being completely
democratic. There are always communities and
individuals trying to expand the idea of democracy
and push for a greater recognition of equality on
existing as well as new issues. Central to this is the
struggle for the recognition of all persons as equal and
for their dignity to be maintained. In the chapters
forward, you will read about how this issue of equality
affects various aspects of our daily lives in democratic
India. As you read this chapter, think about whether
the equality of all persons and their being able to
maintain their dignity is upheld.
Children having their mid-day meal in a primary school
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