LAUNCHED 2021 • NUTRITION
PM POSHAN Scheme (Mid-Day Meal)
Hot, nutritious cooked meals to school children across India.
2021
Year Renamed
Bal Vatika–Class 8
Coverage
MoE
Nodal Ministry
📌 Why It Matters
PM POSHAN is the world's largest school-feeding programme. It tackles classroom hunger and malnutrition while improving school enrolment, attendance and retention — making it a high-yield topic for governance and social-sector questions.
The PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) scheme was launched in 2021, renaming and subsuming the earlier National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools (the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, which dates back to 1995). It provides one hot cooked meal to children in government and government-aided schools to address nutrition and education together.
🎯 Key Objectives
- Improve the nutritional status of school-going children.
- Boost enrolment, attendance and retention, especially of girls.
- Provide nutritional support during summer vacation in drought-affected areas.
- Promote social equity as children of all backgrounds eat together.
📋 Key Facts
| Renamed In | 2021 (earlier Mid-Day Meal Scheme, 1995) |
| Nodal Ministry | Ministry of Education |
| Coverage | Children from Bal Vatika to Class 8 |
| Type | Centrally Sponsored Scheme |
⚡ Exam Pointers
- Mid-Day Meal began in 1995; renamed PM POSHAN in 2021.
- Now covers pre-primary (Bal Vatika) children too.
- It is the world's largest school feeding programme.