Lok Sabha Question No. 250 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: PM Poshan Yojana
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Satyadev Pachauri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 250 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## PM Poshan Yojana

## † 250. SHRI SATYADEV PACHAURI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has renamed Mid Day Meal Scheme as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme;
- (b) if so, the additional difference and benefits likely to accrue in the said scheme with the change of the name thereof;
- (c) whether there is any proposal to cover more number of children in addition to the 12 crore children of 11 lakh government schools under the said scheme to address the problem of malnutrition; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 250 for  21.03.2022  raised  by  Shri  Satyadev  Pachauri,  Hon'ble  MP  regarding  PM  Poshan Yojana.

- (a) to  (d):  Government  has  approved  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme 'Pradhan  Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN)' earlier known as 'National Programme for MidDay Meal in Schools' for providing hot cooked meal to eligible children in Government and Government - aided Schools from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The Government has also approved following additional features under PM POSHAN Scheme in order to address the problem of malnutrition and improve the nutritional status of eligible children:
- (i) Inclusion of Balvatika : The provision of hot cooked meal to children of pre-schools or Balvatika (before class I) in primary schools also, in addition to the 11.80 crore children of classes  I to  VIII studying in 11.20 lakh Government and Governmentaided schools.
- (ii) Tithi  Bhojan :  Tithi  Bhojan  is  a  community  participation  programme  in  which people provide special food to children on special occasions/festivals in addition to regular meal.
- (iii) School  Nutrition  Gardens :  Under  the  Scheme,  development  of  School  Nutrition Gardens in schools  is  being  promoted,  to  give  children  first  hand  experience  with nature and gardening.
- (iv) Social  Audit :  Social  Audit  in  all  districts  is  made  mandatory  under  the  Scheme. Social  Audit  is  collective  monitoring  of  a  scheme  by  people's  active  involvement covering issues of equity, equality and expenditure management.
- (v) Vocal for local : Under 'Vocal for local' States and Union Territory Administrations are encouraged to decide menu suitable to the local conditions within the prescribed nutrition  and  food  norms  and  to  procure  locally  grown  food  items  like  millets, vegetables,  condiments  etc.  from  Farmers'  Producers  Organizations,  Federation  of Women's Self-Help Groups etc. so as to promote local employment generation and economic development while simultaneously improving the nutrition standards.
- (vi) Special  Focus :  Adequate  provision  for  supplementary  nutrition  in  aspirational districts / tribal districts / districts with identified high cases of malnutrition etc.
- (vii) Disaster Management :  Provision of hot cooked meal or Food Security Allowance to  children  when  schools  are  closed  due  to  a  disaster  impacting  the  State/Union Territory,  part  of  State/Union  Territory,  some  States/Union  Territory  or  whole country  as  maybe  declared  by  the  State/Central  Government  under  its  powers  as Disaster Management Authority.

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