PM POSHAN
- September 30, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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PM POSHAN
Subject – Governance
Context – 24 lakh pre-primary students to get meals
Concept –
- The Centre has rebranded the 26-year-old national midday meal scheme to give a hot cooked meal to 11.8 crore government school students from classes 1 to 8, with the Cabinet approving a proposal to rename it as the PM POSHAN (Poshan Shakti Nirman) scheme on Wednesday.
- From the next financial year, it will also cover the 24 lakh children studying in balvatikas, the pre-primary section of government schools.
- Although this year’s budget for mid-day meals remains unchanged, an additional ₹266 crore is expected to be added as the Central government’s share to cater to balvatika students from 2022-23,
- The extension of mid-day meals to pre-primary students, who are to be incorporated into the formal education system, was a key recommendation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and the population of balvatikas — which offer one year of pre-school classes — is expected to rise from the existing 24 lakh as the policy is implemented
- The PM POSHAN scheme has been approved for the next five-year period until 2025-26, with a collective outlay of ₹1.31 lakh crore, including ₹31,733 crore as the share to be borne by the State governments.
- It will improve nutritional status, encourage education and learning and increase enrolments in government schools.
- The rebranded scheme aims to focus on “holistic nutrition” goals.
To know about Midday Meal Scheme, please click here.