Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN)

✦Key Features

• Free hot cooked meal to 11.80 crore children in 11.20 lakh schools — world's largest school feeding programme
• Covers Classes 1-8; extended to Bal Vatika (pre-primary) in pilot schools
• Menu: locally sourced, nutritionally balanced; fortified rice mandatory from 2021
• Nutri-gardens (school gardens) promoted for fresh vegetables and fruits
• Social audit mandatory; community participation through village education committees
• Reduces school dropout rate; improves attendance (especially girls)
• Budget FY2025-26: ₹12,500 crore; 60:40 Centre-State (90:10 for NE/hilly states)

✓Eligibility Criteria

• Students enrolled in government and government-aided schools.
• Children attending local body schools, EGS & AIE centers.
• Students in Madarsas and Maqtabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
• Covers children studying in classes I to VIII.

★Benefits

• Improved nutritional levels among school-going children.
• Increased school enrollment, attendance, and retention rates.
• Reduced dropout rates, especially among vulnerable groups.
• Better learning outcomes due to reduced hunger and improved concentration.
• Promotion of social equity and national integration.

▶Application Process

• Enrollment in an eligible government or government-aided school.
• Automatic inclusion of all enrolled students in the scheme.
• No separate application form is required by parents or students.
• The school administration manages the implementation and distribution of meals.

₹ Budget Allocation

12500

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 60:40 (General States), 90:10 (NE/Himalayan States), 100% (UTs without legislature)

Historical Context

Originates from the 1925 Madras Corporation program; launched nationally in 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education. Renamed PM POSHAN in Sept 2021 with an expanded scope.