In India, the midday meal scheme was introduced on August 15th, 1995, as part of the National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE). The National Program of Mid Day Meal in Schools, also known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, replaced the name NP-NSPE in October 2007.
Children in government primary and upper primary schools, government-aided Anganwadis, Madarsa, and Maqtabs receive free meals on working days as part of the programme. The Midday Meal Scheme is the biggest programme of its kind in the world, feeding 120 million kids in more than 1.27 million schools and Education Guarantee Scheme locations. The Midday Meal Scheme was first implemented in Tamil Nadu in post-independent India; it was pioneered by the previous Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in the early 1960s. According to the Supreme Court of India’s directives, the programme was put into effect in all of the states by 2002.
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PM Poshan
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed “PM POSHAN” or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman in September 2021. In addition to those presently served by the mid-day programme, PM POSHAN will extend the hot prepared meals to students enrolled in pre-primary levels or Bal Vatikas of government and government-aided elementary schools.
With a budget of Rs 1,30,794.90 crore, the revamped programme has been established for 5 years, from 2021–2022 to 2025–2026. The 11.80 crore youngsters enrolled in the country’s 11.20 lakh schools are expected to benefit, according to the government. In the following aspects, the plan differs from the mid-day meal plan:
- The updated programme would prioritise monitoring schoolchildren’s nutritional status in addition to serving them nutritious meals.
- In order to ensure that the BMI, weight, and haemoglobin levels of the stdents are monitored, a nutritional specialist will be recruited in each school
- There would be specific dietary preparations offered in areas where anaemia was prevalent.
- On school campuses, the government is also thinking of establishing nutrition gardens with student involvement.
- The programme might also host cooking contests to promote ethnic cuisine and creative menus made with regional ingredients.
What is a mid-day meal scheme?
It is one meal that is provided to all children enrolled in government schools, government-aided schools, local body schools, special training centres (STC), madrasas and maktabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Objectives of mid-day meal scheme?
- To increase the enrolment of the children belonging to disadvantaged sections in the schools
- Leading enrolment to increased attendance in the schools
- To retain children studying in classes 1-8
- To provide nutritional support to the children of the elementary stage in drought-affected area
For more information on Pradhan Poshan , please visit following website: https://pmposhan.education.gov.in/
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