PM-POSHAN Scheme

PM-POSHAN Scheme Latest News

The Government of India has approved a 9.5% hike in material cost under the PM-POSHAN scheme, resulting in an additional central expenditure of ₹954 crore for the financial year 2025–26, effective from May 1, 2025.

About PM-POSHAN Scheme

• The PM-POSHAN Scheme, formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the Ministry of Education.
• It aims to provide one hot cooked meal per school day to 11.20 crore children studying in Balvatikas (pre-primary), and Classes 1 to 8 across 10.36 lakh government and government-aided schools.
• The scheme addresses twin objectives:
  • Enhancing nutritional status of school-going children.
  • Improving enrollment, retention, and attendance in schools, especially among disadvantaged children.
• The revised material cost per student per day is:
  • ₹6.78 for Balvatika and Primary students (up from ₹6.19).
  • ₹10.17 for Upper Primary students (up from ₹9.29).
• These rates represent the minimum mandatory contribution. However, States and Union Territories can contribute more from their budgets to provide meals with higher nutritional value.
• Nutritional norms under PM-POSHAN include:
  • For Balvatika and Primary classes: 20g pulses, 50g vegetables, and 5g oil.
  • For Upper Primary classes: 30g pulses, 75g vegetables, and 7.5g oil.
• The Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour supplies data on inflation for the items in the PM-POSHAN meal basket. This data is based on the Consumer Price Index – Rural Labourers (CPI-RL), calculated from 600 sample villages across 20 States.
• POSHAN Abhiyan is managed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and aims to improve nutrition among adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children (0–6 years).
• Mission POSHAN 2.0, launched in 2021, merged POSHAN Abhiyan and the Supplementary Nutrition Programme to streamline efforts under one unified framework.
• Funding Pattern under POSHAN Abhiyan:
  • 60:40 between Centre and States/UTs with legislature.
  • 90:10 for the Northeastern and Himalayan States.
  • 100% central funding for UTs without legislature.

PM-POSHAN Scheme FAQs

Q1. What is the PM-POSHAN Scheme?
Ans. The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN) is India’s flagship nutrition program, providing hot cooked meals to schoolchildren and addressing malnutrition through Anganwadi centers.

Q2. What are its key objectives?
Ans. Combat malnutrition, improve educational outcomes, and ensure holistic development of children via fortified meals, health check-ups, and nutrition education.

Q3. How does it integrate with existing schemes?
Ans. Merges the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and ICDS, leveraging digital tracking (POSHAN Tracker) for real-time monitoring of beneficiaries.

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Source: TH