Mid-day meal scheme is now ‘PM Poshan’, pre-primary children will be covered

The mid-day meal scheme will now be known as PM POSHAN, with the Centre initiating a major political push pivoted around ‘child nutrition’, and announcing that around 24 lakh students receiving pre-primary education at government and government-aided schools will also be brought under the ambit of the scheme from next year. Under the mid-day meal scheme, hot cooked food is provided currently to students from Classes 1 to 8 — around 11.80 crore children in all, in 11.20 lakh government and government-aided schools. Under PM Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM POSHAN scheme, 24 lakh more children in pre-primary classes, currently covered under the ICDS, will also be brought in. Last year, the government had opened pre-schools called Balvatikas attached to angandwadis. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said PM POSHAN, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday, will provide a new shape to the policy “to enhance the nutrition levels of schoolchildren”.