Mid-Day Meal Scheme And PM POSHAN
Introduction
The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, recently revamped and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) in September 2021, is the worldβs largest school feeding program. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Education that provides one hot cooked meal to children in government and government-aided schools.
Objectives
- Nutritional Support: Addressing "hidden hunger" and malnutrition among school-going children.
- Educational Impact: Increasing school enrollment and attendance, and reducing drop-out rates.
- Social Equity: Promoting social integration by having children of all castes and religions sit and eat together.
- Economic Support: Providing a safety net for underprivileged families and creating employment opportunities, particularly for women (Cook-cum-Helpers).
Scope And Coverage
- Target Group: Children in Classes 1 to 8 (ages 6β14 years).
- PM POSHAN Extension: The scheme now includes children in Balvatika (pre-school classes below Class 1) in government and government-aided schools.
- Schools Covered: Government schools, local body schools, government-aided schools, and Special Training Centers (STCs) like Madrasas and Maqtabs supported under Samagra Shiksha.
Nutritional Norms
The scheme is designed to provide roughly one-third of the daily energy requirement and half of the daily protein requirement.
| Component | Primary (Classes 1β5) | Upper Primary (Classes 6β8) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 450 kcal | 700 kcal |
| Protein | 12 g | 20 g |
| Food Grains | 100 g | 150 g |
| Pulses | 20 g | 30 g |
| Vegetables | 50 g | 75 g |
| Oil and Fats | 5 g | 7.5 g |
Key Features Of PM POSHAN (Updates Over MDM)
- Tithi Bhojan: A community participation concept where people provide special food to children on occasions like festivals, birthdays, or anniversaries.
- School Nutrition Gardens: Encouraging schools to grow their own vegetables and fruits (Kitchen Gardens) to provide fresh produce and educate children about nature and nutrition.
- Social Audit: Mandatory social audits in all districts to ensure transparency and quality control.
- Supplementary Nutrition: The scheme allows states to provide additional items (e.g., milk, eggs, or fruits) using their own resources.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Cooking cost is transferred directly to the schoolβs account to prevent leakages.
Quality And Safety Protocols
- Food Fortification: Use of fortified rice (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12), double-fortified salt (Iron and Iodine), and fortified oils.
- Testing: Mandatory testing of food samples by accredited laboratories (NABL/FSSAI) to ensure nutritional and safety standards.
- Hygiene: Strict protocols for "Cook-cum-Helpers" regarding handwashing, clean utensils, and safe storage of food grains.
Pediatric And Public Health Linkages
- Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS): Coordination with the Ministry of Health to provide Blue IFA tablets (school-aged) or Pink IFA tablets (adolescents) every Monday.
- National Deworming Day (NDD): Biannual administration of Tablet Albendazole (400mg) in schools.
- Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): Utilizing the meal time or school presence for health screening for the "4Ds" (Defects, Deficiencies, Diseases, Developmental delays).
- Anemia Mukt Bharat: Integrating the school meal as a vehicle to combat nutritional anemia.
Monitoring Mechanisms
- Automated Monitoring System (AMS): Real-time daily reporting of the number of beneficiaries via SMS or mobile apps.
- Management Information System (MIS): A robust digital portal to track school-level data, grain stock, and fund utilization.
- Joint Review Missions (JRM): Periodic field visits by experts and central/state officials to evaluate ground-level implementation.