PM POSHAN Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman)

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme, formerly known as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools, is the world's largest school feeding initiative administered by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India. The scheme provides a fresh, hot cooked nutritious meal every single school day to over 12 Crore children enrolled in Pre-Primary (Balvatikas) and Classes 1 to 8 across all Government, Local Body, and Government-Aided schools nationwide.

PM POSHAN combines educational enrollment with childhood nutritional security. By addressing classroom hunger, the scheme dramatically improves student attendance, prevents dropouts (especially among girl children and economically disadvantaged communities), and combats childhood malnutrition, stunting, and anemia. The revamped scheme introduces School Nutrition Gardens (Poshan Vatikas), Tithi Bhojan community celebrations, supplementary nutrition in aspirational districts, and holistic health check-ups in partnership with the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).

Nutritional, educational, and social benefits under PM POSHAN include: 1. Enhanced Nutritional Intake: Daily wholesome meals composed of food grains (rice/wheat), pulses (dal), vegetables, oil, and fortified salt ensure that growing children meet essential macro- and micro-nutrient requirements. 2. Boost in School Attendance & Retention: Eliminates classroom hunger, enabling children from low-income families to concentrate in classrooms, resulting in higher academic scores and near-zero dropout rates in primary education. 3. Eradication of Social Discrimination: Children of all castes, religions, genders, and economic backgrounds sit together in common dining rows, fostering equality, camaraderie, and social integration from an early age. 4. Health & Anemia Interventions: Mandatory distribution of Iron & Folic Acid (IFA) tablets, bi-annual deworming tablets (Albendazole), and regular BMI and height/weight screenings recorded on digital School Health Cards. 5. Employment for Rural Women: Over 25+ Lakh Cook-cum-Helpers (predominantly women from SC, ST, and OBC communities and Self-Help Groups) are employed to cook and serve meals with honorarium allowances.

Eligibility for PM POSHAN is automatic upon school enrollment: • Target Students: All children studying in Pre-Primary (Balvatika) and Classes 1 to 8 (typically ages 3 to 14 years). • Eligible Educational Institutions: - Government Schools (State & Central, including SSA and KGBVs). - Local Body Schools (Panchayat, Municipal Corporation, Zilla Parishad schools). - Government-Aided Private Schools. - Special Training Centres (STC) and recognized Madarsas / Maqtabs supported under Samagra Shiksha. • Cost: 100% completely FREE of cost with zero charges payable by parents.

No separate scheme application or paperwork is required from parents: 1. Valid School Admission / Enrollment Record. 2. Student's Aadhaar Number (or Parent's Aadhaar for linking on the school UDISE+ database). 3. School Health Card (provided free by the school administration).

• Aadhaar Card of the student (or Parent/Guardian Aadhaar for enrolment)
• Proof of School Admission / Enrollment in Government, Local Body, or Aided School
• Student's School Health Card (issued free at school for growth monitoring)

Availing the benefits of PM POSHAN is automatic with school admission: Step 1 — School Enrollment: Enroll your child in any local Government School, Panchayat/Municipal Primary School, or Government-Aided School in Classes 1 to 8 or Balvatika. Step 2 — Automatic Daily Meal Inclusion: The child is automatically enrolled in the daily PM POSHAN meal roster on the school's register. Step 3 — Nutritious Meal Served Daily: Freshly cooked, hygienically prepared hot meals are served daily during the lunch interval adhering to the weekly approved menu. Step 4 — Health Monitoring: School authorities conduct periodic health check-ups, distribute free iron/calcium supplements, and update growth records on the national portal.

Meals are provided on all official school working days throughout the academic year (minimum 200 days for Primary and 220 days for Upper Primary). In notified drought-affected areas, meals continue during summer vacations.

• Not verifying that the school maintains clean drinking water and hygienic cooking utensils. • Missing regular health checkup days and deworming drives conducted under the RBSK school health mission. • Failure of school committees to update daily meal consumption data on the automated SMS/mobile tracking system.

Enroll your child in your neighborhood government or aided school. Parents can actively join the School Management Committee (SMC) to participate in weekly menu planning and supervise food hygiene.