India, Aug. 28 -- The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) asked principals of schools run by the agency to ensure that all students avail of the midday meal (MDM), warning that any discrepancy between the attendance and those eating the meal would be treated as "negligence" and in-charges will be held responsible.

In an internal communique sent by Anita Naudiyal, the deputy director of education for MCD's South Zone to schools on August 25, a copy of which was accessed by HT, it was pointed out that online data showed that not all students attending school were taking MDM, and the same "raises questions about the accountability" of in-charges.

Naudiyal, in the communique, said, "The MDM report submitted by schools will be monitored... ...