The Hindu published an article on new IFPRI research that found that the mid-day meal scheme was associated with 13-32% of India’s improvement in height-for...the scheme in 1999. By 2011, with an expansion in budget, and state implementation following a Supreme Court order, coverage had grown to 46%. The study tracked nationally representative cohorts of mothers by birth year and socio-economic status to show how exposure to the scheme reduced stunting in their children. IFPRI researcher Purnima Menon, one of the authors of the study, said the key takeaway is to “expand and improve school meals now for inter-generational pay-offs not too far down in time.” Tweeting about the study, she wrote, "Girls in India finish school, get married, and have children all in just a few years - so school-based interventions can really help." Also published in IM4Change.