Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme

Core Objective

Salient Features of the Scheme

• Improving the nutritional status of eligible children in Government and Government aided schools.
• Encouraging the poor children, coming from the disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
• Providing nutritional support to the children of elementary stage in drought-affected during summers as well as disaster affected areas. 
• Providing an important source of employment for women. 
• Helps to undermine caste prejudice, by teaching children to sit together and share a common meal.
• Reducing gender gap in school participation.

About PM POSHAN (Formerly Mid-Day Meal Scheme)

• One of the world's largest school nutrition programs.
• Launch year: 2021.
• Genesis: 
  • National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (1995).
  • Transformed into Mid-Day Meal Scheme (2004).
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Central state sharing 60:40)
• Ministry: Ministry of Education
• Budget Estimate: Rs. 12,500 crore FY26.
• Aim: Provide one hot cooked meal in Government and Government-aided schools.  
• Features under PM POSHAN Scheme
  • Inclusion of Balvatika: Hot cooked meals extended to Balvatika (pre-Class I) children along with students of Classes I–VIII in Government and Government-aided schools. 
  • Tithi Bhojan: Community participation through provision of special meals on festivals and significant occasions. 
  • School Nutrition Gardens: Promotion of school gardens to improve nutrition awareness and practical learning. 
  • Social Audit: Mandatory social audits in all districts to ensure transparency, equity and accountability. 
  • Vocal for Local: Encourages locally suitable menus and procurement from FPOs and Women SHGs. 
  • Special Focus: Supplementary nutrition for aspirational, tribal and high-malnutrition districts. 
  • Disaster Management: Provision of hot cooked meals or Food Security Allowance during disaster-induced school closures.
• Coverage: The scheme benefits approximately more than 11.80 crore children across 11.20 lakh schools throughout India. 
  • It is one of the many schemes under the umbrella scheme "Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS)" which includes:
    • Anganwadi Services Scheme
    • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
    • Scheme for Adolescent Girls
• Nutrition Norms:
  • Primary (Class 1-5):
    • Calories: 450 kcal
    • Protein: 12 grams
  • Upper Primary (Class 6-8):
    • Calories: 700 kcal
    • Protein: 20 grams
• Food Composition:
  • Primary:
    • Food grains: 100 g
    • Pulses: 20 g
    • Vegetables: 50 g
    • Oil & fat: 5 g
  • Upper Primary:
    • Food grains: 150 g
    • Pulses: 30 g
    • Vegetables: 75 g
    • Oil & fat: 7.5 g