Who introduced the midday meals?

However, the concept of providing free meals to school children existed long before that.

Here's a breakdown of the history and key figures involved:

* 1925: The Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu) introduced a pilot program to provide free meals to school children. This was considered a precursor to the modern Midday Meal Scheme.

* 1948: The Indian government included free meals in the post-independence plan for education.

* 1962: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was launched in the United States, inspiring similar initiatives globally.

* 1995: The Midday Meal Scheme was formally launched as a national program in India. The program aimed to improve school enrollment and attendance, address malnutrition, and provide a healthy meal to school children.

* 2001: The Supreme Court of India mandated the provision of cooked meals to all primary school students.

While the Midday Meal Scheme was formally introduced in 1995, it's important to acknowledge the contributions of various individuals and initiatives that paved the way for this crucial program.