India has a long and enduring history of an economic divide that has led to widespread child malnutrition and a lack of access to education. This has created a vicious cycle where poverty is not only a cause of malnutrition but also a consequence.

Undernutrition—both protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies—directly affects many aspects of children’s development. It retards their physical and cognitive growth and increases susceptibility to infection and disease, further increasing the probability of being malnourished.

As a result, undernutrition has been estimated to be associated with about half of all child deaths.

More than half of child deaths from diarrhea (61 percent), malaria (57 percent), and pneumonia (52 percent) are associated with malnutrition, as well as 45 percent of deaths from measles.

Child undernutrition in India is responsible for 22 percent of the country’s burden of disease which costs India up to $2.5 billion a year.

Undernutrition also affects cognitive and motor development, and it undermines educational attainment. Ultimately, it affects productivity at work and at home, with adverse implications for income and economic growth.

Micronutrient deficiencies alone may be costing India $2.5 billion a year.

India’s Mid Day Meal Scheme is a national school meal program that provides free meals to children, aged 6-14, in government and government-aided primary and upper-primary schools.

The scheme’s purpose is to address nutritional deficiencies and educational disparities among school children.