The Effects of the Indian Mid-Day Meal Scheme on Cognitive and Health Outcomes of Children in Andhra Pradesh

This paper analyses the impact of the Indian Mid-Day Meal Scheme on the health and cognitive outcomes of schooling children living in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. We exploit the variability derived from the individual educational history of children, combined with the phased implementation of the program targeting only students in the public sector, to construct a variable measuring the monthly cumulative exposure to the Mid-Day Scheme. We provide evidence of the positive impact of the policy on children attending public schools, particularly in reducing inequalities between children enrolled in the private and public sectors. Lastly, employing a Heckman Selection model accounting for the selection issue on the type of school attended by children, we show that the impact of the policy is positive and consistent regardless of the type of school attended.