vijay vascar: so the scale of the program is mind-boggling. this is the largest such program in the world and largest such program in the country itself. amos: vijay bhaskar administers the scheme in karnataka. he's responsible for feeding seven million children every day. he says that before the lunches were provided, poor parents often sent their children to work, and about a million kids were out of school. vijay: after about six years of this program, the latest data, the census which we did in 2007 shows that the number of children who are out of school was reduced to 70,000. so from one million, it has come down to 70,000. so this i would largely say impact is due to the midday meal scheme. [speaking foreign language] amos: the principal of this school says students now find it easier to concentrate, and classrooms are getting crowded. amos: today the cooks are preparing sambar, a staple south indian dish that's like a soupy vegetable curry with lentils. this simple meal is also being used as an instrument of social change. the state gove