PM POSHAN Scheme: Coverage, Funding, Norms and Key Facts
Why in the news
The Centre agreed to carry an additional Rs 425.62 crore in 2024-25 due to rising food prices, and per-child cooking cost norms were revised twice.
Key facts
- Type: Centrally Sponsored; Bal Vatika and Classes I-VIII in government and aided schools.
- Reach: roughly 11.2 lakh schools and 11.8 crore children.
- Outlay (2021-22 to 2025-26): approx Rs 1.31 lakh crore; Centre Rs 54,061.73 crore, states Rs 31,733.17 crore, plus foodgrain cost of about Rs 45,000 crore wholly Central.
- Foodgrains: about 26 lakh tonnes through FCI, fully Central-funded (subsidy near Rs 9,000 crore yearly, plus carriage to schools).
- Cooking cost per child daily: Rs 6.19 and Rs 9.29 (primary, upper primary) from December 2024, then roughly Rs 6.78 and Rs 10.17 from May 2025.
Funding and norms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| General states | Centre 60 : states 40 |
| North-Eastern and Himalayan states | Centre 90 : states 10 |
| UTs with no legislature | Entirely Central |
| Primary, Classes I-V | 450 calories, 12 g protein, 100 g grain |
| Upper primary, Classes VI-VIII | 700 calories, 20 g protein, 150 g grain |
Background
- Began as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (15 August 1995).
- In 2001 the Supreme Court, hearing the PUCL right-to-food case, directed that every government primary school serve cooked meals.
- The 29 September 2021 Cabinet decision covered 2021-22 to 2025-26, brought pre-primary children in and added components.
- Meals continue through summer vacation in drought or disaster-hit areas.
New features from 2021
- Tithi Bhojan: community members bring festive food for pupils on special days.
- School nutrition gardens that grow vegetables and teach by doing.
- Women self-help groups and FPOs in supply; added nutrition in aspirational districts and anaemia-prone areas.
- District-level social audit; cooking cost sent directly to schools through DBT.
Exam angle
- Different from POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018), the Women and Child Development mission for children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- Dates: 15 August 1995 (start) and 29 September 2021 (rename); ministry: Education.
- Meals are prepared by cook-cum-helpers, or in urban areas by NGO and self-help-group kitchens.