Nepal, May 24 -- The Office of the Auditor General (OAG), in its 62nd Annual Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24, flagged irregularities in the student midday meal program. The report revealed that government efforts to improve school education and retain students through the meal program faced significant mismanagement.While auditing accounts for FY 2023/24, the OAG found financial irregularities in several education-related areas, including the midday meal program, sanitary pad distribution, textbooks, scholarships, and teacher salary disbursements.

While presenting the budget for FY 2023/24 in Parliament, then-Finance Minister Barshaman Pun increased the midday meal allowance, citing the need to improve the education and health of chi...