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Mid-day meal Scheme is “PM Poshan”

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Polity & Governance
  • Published
    1st Oct, 2021

Context

The mid-day meal scheme will now be known as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN).

Key points of the scheme

  • The PM POSHAN scheme has been launched for an initial period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. 
  • It will incorporate with the existing Mid Day Meal Scheme.
  • The Scheme has a provision for supplementary nutrition for children in aspirational districts and those districts which are with high prevalence of anaemia.

Beneficiaries

  • Under this scheme, hot cooked food will be given to the students from Classes 1 to 8 in government and government-aided schools.
    • It is likely to benefit about 11.80 crore children studying in 11.20 lakh schools.
  • Mid-day meals will be extended to students studying in pre-primary or Balvatikas government aided schools. 
    • Balvatika is the pre-school that was started in government schools which includes children aged younger than six years.

Mid day meal scheme

  • The mid day meal scheme is the centrally sponsored scheme.
  • It was launched in India on 15 August 1995 named as 'National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE)'. 
    • It was renamed as ' 'National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools' also known as the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme in 2007.
  • The scheme is considered as the world’s largest school meal programme.
  • In this scheme the government provided cooked meals to every child who enrolls and attends the school within the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII.

Other Related Government Initiatives

  • Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan
  • National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
  • Poshan Abhiyaan

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