- The Purba Medinipur district administration has introduced new attendance rules under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme to increase clarity.
- Attendance must now be marked as ‘P’ for Present and ‘A’ for Absent, instead of the earlier dot marking method.
- A daily attendance summary by 11 AM helps ensure accurate mid-day meal distribution and helps prevent record tampering.
West Bengal’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been updated with important changes in student attendance rules designed to improve clarity and fairness. These new rules mainly affect schools in Purba Medinipur and aim to stop irregularities and improve the accuracy of attendance records, which directly affect mid-day meal distribution.
Getting to Know the New Student Attendance Rules
The district administration of Purba Medinipur has introduced a new way to record attendance to make sure daily attendance is clear and dependable. They have informed all primary and secondary school headmasters, marking the start of a more responsible attendance system.
What Has Changed in Attendance Recording
Earlier, teachers marked absent students with dots, which could be easily changed. Now the new rule requires using ‘P’ for present students and ‘A’ for absent students in the attendance registers.
Also, schools must record a daily summary showing how many students are present and absent for each class by 11 AM. This helps finish the attendance count early in the day and greatly lowers the chance of any changes later.
How This Affects Mid-Day Meal Distribution
Having correct and checked attendance data directly affects how mid-day meals are distributed. This updated system lets meal planning be more accurate based on who is really present, reducing waste and making sure the meals reach the students who need them.
Why These New Rules Were Introduced
These updates respond to problems found with the old attendance marking system, which allowed changes that weakened the clarity and trust in both attendance and mid-day meal programs.
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Fixing Issues with Past Attendance Records
In May, during a check of the mid-day meal program, officials found issues where absent marks (dots) could be easily changed. These gaps hurt the truthfulness of attendance data, causing wrong meal counts and misuse of resources meant for the scheme.
Good Effects for Students and School Staff
With these clear attendance rules, schools make sure staff are responsible and students get their mid-day meals without any problems. This system builds trust among everyone involved and helps create a better educational environment.
These rules took effect immediately from July 30, 2025, and are expected to inspire other districts in West Bengal to adopt similar changes, making the Mid-Day Meal Scheme more dependable across the state.