Advertisement

Fill Online Application Form

8th Pass – Apply Here

10th Pass – Apply Here

12th Pass v- Apply Here

ITI – Diploma – Apply Here

Graduate Pass – Apply Here

Post Graduate – Apply Here

PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan – Mid-Day Meal Scheme

PM-POSHAN, Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment, (lit) PM Nutrition Power Building Scheme

The Government of India has always worked towards improving the health, education, and nutrition of children. One of the most important welfare schemes for school children is the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, which was later upgraded and renamed as PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan (PM POSHAN) in 2021.

This scheme is not just about providing free meals in schools, but also about improving learning, fighting malnutrition, supporting poor families, and encouraging students to attend classes regularly.

In this detailed article, we will cover everything about PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan – its history, objectives, features, benefits, funding, implementation, challenges, and future scope.

History of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan

  • 1995: The Central Government launched the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE). Popularly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, it provided free cooked meals to children in government schools.
  • 2001: After a Supreme Court order, cooked meals were made compulsory instead of dry rations.
  • 2004: The scheme was revised to include more nutritious food items like pulses, vegetables, oil, etc.
  • 2007: The scheme was extended to cover upper primary classes (6th to 8th).
  • 2021: The scheme was renamed PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan and further strengthened to improve nutrition quality and expand coverage.

This rebranding was done to give a new vision and align with India’s fight against malnutrition and learning loss.

Objectives of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan

The scheme has several key objectives:

  1. Nutritional Support – Provide one hot cooked meal to every child studying in government and government-aided schools.
  2. Boost Education – Encourage regular school attendance and reduce dropouts, especially among children from poor families.
  3. Fight Malnutrition – Improve health and nutrition levels of school children by providing balanced meals.
  4. Social Equality – Promote social harmony by having children from different backgrounds eat together.
  5. Women Empowerment – Create employment for women, especially self-help groups, who are engaged in cooking and managing kitchens.
  6. Holistic Development – Ensure children not only get education but also grow physically and mentally strong.

Key Features of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman

  1. Coverage
    • All children studying in Classes 1 to 8 in government, government-aided, and local body schools are covered.
    • Covers more than 11.8 crore children across India.
  2. Nutritional Standards
    • For Primary (Class 1–5):
      • 450 calories
      • 12 grams protein per meal
    • For Upper Primary (Class 6–8):
      • 700 calories
      • 20 grams protein per meal
  3. Menu
    • Meals include rice, wheat, pulses, vegetables, oil, milk, and sometimes eggs (depending on state policy).
  4. Local Sourcing
    • States are encouraged to use locally grown food grains, vegetables, and millets to support farmers.
  5. Nutritional Gardens
    • Schools are encouraged to set up “school nutrition gardens” where students grow vegetables and fruits for their meals.
  6. Social Audit
    • Transparency and accountability through social audits, inspections, and regular reporting.
  7. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
    • Funds are transferred directly to school accounts to avoid corruption and delays.

Benefits of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan

1. Better Nutrition and Health

Children receive essential proteins, vitamins, and calories through balanced meals, helping fight malnutrition and anemia.

2. Increased School Enrolment

Free meals attract more children to attend schools, especially from economically weaker sections.

3. Reduced Dropouts

Since students get food in school, parents are motivated to keep children enrolled.

4. Improved Learning Outcomes

A healthy child is more attentive in class. Studies show mid-day meals improve concentration and academic performance.

5. Social Equality

Children from all castes, religions, and classes eat together, breaking social barriers.

6. Support for Poor Families

Parents, especially daily wage earners, save on food costs as their children receive at least one nutritious meal daily.

7. Employment for Women

Lakhs of women cooks and helpers are employed under this scheme, giving them income and independence.

8. Promotion of Local Farmers

By purchasing local produce, the scheme also helps rural farmers and boosts the local economy.

Funding and Budget

  • The scheme is centrally sponsored, meaning both the Central Government and State Governments share the cost.
  • Ratio:
    • 90:10 for North-Eastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K
    • 60:40 for other states
    • 100% funded by the Centre in Union Territories
  • Budget Allocation (2021–22 onwards): ₹1.31 lakh crore over 5 years.

Implementation Mechanism

  1. Central Level – Ministry of Education is the nodal agency.
  2. State Level – State education departments plan and monitor.
  3. District/Block Level – Local officials supervise supply, quality, and distribution.
  4. School Level – Headmasters, teachers, and School Management Committees oversee cooking, hygiene, and record-keeping.

Role of Technology

PM Poshan uses digital tools for transparency:

  • Online dashboards to track attendance and meals served.
  • Mobile apps for inspection and reporting.
  • DBT system for fund transfer.
  • Biometric attendance in some schools.

Challenges in PM Poshan Scheme

Despite its success, the scheme faces some issues:

  1. Quality of Food – Reports of poor quality or unhygienic food in some areas.
  2. Corruption and Leakages – Misuse of funds in certain states.
  3. Infrastructure Issues – Lack of proper kitchens, storage, or clean water in some schools.
  4. Shortage of Staff – Cooks and helpers often underpaid and overworked.
  5. Regional Disparities – Differences in menu and implementation between states.
  6. Monitoring Difficulties – Ensuring consistent quality across lakhs of schools is challenging.

Improvements and New Initiatives

To strengthen the scheme, the government has introduced:

  • Inclusion of Breakfast in some states.
  • Fortified Rice to fight malnutrition.
  • Millets in Meals to promote nutrition and support farmers (aligned with International Year of Millets 2023).
  • Nutrition Gardens in schools.
  • Digital Monitoring for transparency.

Impact of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman

  • Improved nutritional status of crores of children.
  • Increased school enrolment and retention, especially for girls.
  • Created employment for 25 lakh women as cooks/helpers.
  • Promoted social inclusion by bringing children of different backgrounds together.
  • Boosted local economy by purchasing food locally.

Future of PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan

The government is working to make PM Poshan stronger by:

  • Expanding it to pre-primary (Anganwadi) children.
  • Introducing breakfast along with lunch.
  • Using AI and digital tools for real-time monitoring.
  • Enhancing nutrition quality with fortified food and millets.
  • Increasing wages for cooks and helpers.

The long-term vision is to make Indian children healthy, educated, and capable of building a strong nation.

Conclusion

PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan is not just a mid-day meal program; it is a nation-building initiative. By providing nutritious food, the scheme ensures that children are healthy and focused on learning. It reduces hunger, promotes equality, supports poor families, and empowers women.

As India moves towards becoming a developed nation, schemes like PM Poshan will play a major role in shaping a healthier and brighter future for the next generation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What is PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan?
It is the restructured Mid-Day Meal Scheme launched in 2021 to provide nutritious meals to school children in classes 1 to 8.

Q2. Who is eligible for PM Poshan meals?
All children studying in government, government-aided, and local body schools from Class 1 to 8 are eligible.

Q3. What food is given under the scheme?
Meals include rice/wheat, pulses, vegetables, oil, milk, and in some states eggs or fruits. Nutritional standards are fixed for calories and protein.

Q4. How many children benefit from PM Poshan in India?
More than 11.8 crore children across 11.2 lakh schools benefit from the scheme.

Q5. Who funds the PM Poshan scheme?
It is a centrally sponsored scheme, with costs shared between the Central and State Governments.

Q6. How does PM Poshan help education?
Free meals encourage parents to send children to school, reduce dropouts, and improve concentration and learning outcomes.

Q7. Are millets included in PM Poshan meals?
Yes, states are encouraged to add millets to improve nutrition and support farmers.

Q8. Who cooks the food in schools?
Local women, self-help groups, or school cooks are employed for preparing and serving meals.