PM POSHAN Scheme Cost Revision UPSC NOTE

  Why in news The Centre will bear an additional ₹425.62 crore to cover inflation in food material costs under the PM POSHAN Scheme for FY ...

 Why in news

• The Centre will bear an additional ₹425.62 crore to cover inflation in food material costs under the PM POSHAN Scheme for FY 2024-25.

• The scheme provides one hot cooked meal to 11.7 crore students in 10.24 lakh government and government-aided schools.

• Material costs for food items like pulses, vegetables, and oil have been increased by 13.7% based on inflation indices.

• Revised cost:

• Primary & Balvatika: ₹5.45 to ₹6.19

• Upper primary: ₹8.17 to ₹9.29

• The revision is effective from December 1, 2024.

• States/UTs can contribute more than the mandatory minimum share for enhanced nutrition in meals.

• The Centre provides 26 lakh tonnes of foodgrains annually, fully subsidized (₹9,000 crore), including transportation costs.

• Per Meal Cost

• Balvatika & Primary: ₹11.54

• Upper Primary: ₹16.74

• These costs include foodgrains and other components under the scheme.

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme

• It was earlier known as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in schools.

• In September 2021, Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed as Pradhan Mantri POSHAN Scheme.

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme under which one hot cooked meal is served to students studying in Balvatika and classes I to VIII, in Government and Government-aided schools on all school-days.

• The scheme aims at providing nutritional support and enhancing school participation of students.

• The objectives of the Scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for the majority of children in India, viz. hunger and education by:

• Improving the nutritional status of eligible children in Govt and Govt aided schools.

• Encouraging poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.

• Providing nutritional support to children of the elementary stage in drought-affected and disaster affected areas during summer vacation.

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education

• The concept of TithiBhojan (community participation programme in which people provide special food to children on special occasions) will be encouraged extensively.

• Government is also promoting the development of Nutrition Gardens in schools.

• Social Audit of the scheme is made mandatory in all the districts.

• Involvement of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) and Women Self Help Groups in implementation of the scheme will be encouraged.