Proposal to Expand PM POSHAN Scheme to Include Breakfast for School Students

In an important step toward improving the nutritional and educational well-being of children, the Ministry of Education has received formal proposals from several states and union territories requesting the expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme — formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme — to include breakfast for school students.

Objective of the Proposal

¨     The primary goal of these proposals is to ensure that students are not limited to receiving only lunch but also get a nutritious breakfast before or during the early hours of school.

¨     This step is expected to enhance students’ concentration, attendance, and learning ability.

Other Related Courses

¨     Seven states and union territories have requested the Centre to include breakfast in the PM-POSHAN scheme, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

¨     Eleven states and union territories, including Kerala, Karnataka, and Meghalaya, have also sought to extend PM-POSHAN to students up to Grade 12.

¨     This request is in line with the NEP 2020's call for nutritious breakfast before classes to enhance students' concentration and academic performance.

¨     The Ministry is currently evaluating the feasibility and financial implications of the proposal, which is estimated to entail an additional cost of approximately ₹6,000 crore per year.

¨     The final decision will depend on inter-ministerial consultations and budgetary provisions, and a possible pilot project may also be initiated before full-scale implementation.

Key Points of the Proposal

¨     The PM-POSHAN (Prime Minister's Comprehensive Nutrition Scheme) scheme, formerly known as the Midday Meal Scheme, provides cooked meals to students from pre-primary to Grade 8 in government and government-aided schools.

¨     The central government supplies food grains and shares the cost with other states in a 60:40 ratio and 90:10 for the Northeast and Himalayan states.

¨     States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Telangana have already launched state-funded breakfast schemes, which are showing positive results in terms of attendance and classroom participation.

¨     The Finance Ministry previously rejected the breakfast proposal in 2021, citing fiscal constraints, but the demand has received renewed support following its success in some states.

¨     The Ministry of Education may seek Cabinet approval after reviewing the states' responses and assessing the cost-sharing model.

POSHAN Abhiyaan

¨     The government launched the Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) on March 8, 2018, to address malnutrition among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.

¨     The program aims to reduce stunting, malnutrition, anemia, and low birth weight in a timely manner through a life-cycle approach.

¨     Its targets include reducing stunting and malnutrition by 2% per year and anemia among women and children by 3% per year.

Mission Poshan 2.0

¨     It was announced in the 2021-22 budget as an integrated nutrition support program covering all states and union territories.

¨     The Mission aims to strengthen nutrition content, delivery, and governance through the Nutrition Tracker and accredited food testing laboratories.

¨     States and Union Territories are encouraged to establish Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi centers to promote AYUSH-based practices for malnutrition prevention and increase dietary diversity.

¨     Guidelines have been issued to ensure transparency and accountability in supplementary nutrition distribution and to effectively monitor results.