Lok Sabha Question No. 2912 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Funds for PM Poshan Scheme
Ministry: Education
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2912 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## Funds for PM Poshan Scheme

## 2912. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the features of the PM Poshan Scheme;
- (b) the details of the funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this scheme within the country during the last three years, years-wise;
- (c) the details of the target set and achievements made so far;
- (d) whether the Government is aware that after a grand announcement rechristening the school Mid Day Meal Scheme as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, called PM Poshan, the allocation for the scheme has been reduced from Rs. 11,500 crore last year to Rs. 10,233 crore this year; and
- (e) if so, the reasons therefor?

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## ANSWER (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) :  Pradhan  Mantri  Poshan  Shakti  Nirman  (PM  POSHAN)  earlier  known  as  the National  Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools is one of the foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). The  primary  objective  of  the  scheme  is  to  provide  hot  cooked  meal  in  order  to improve  the  nutritional  status  of  eligible  children  studying  in  Government  and Government-aided Schools. The Government approved continuation of the Scheme for the five year period 2021-22 to 2025-26 with the financial outlay of Rs. 54061.73 crores from the Central Government and Rs. 31733.17 crore from State Government &  Union  Territory  Administrations.    Further,  Central  Government  will  also  bear additional cost of about Rs. 45000 crore on foodgrains through subsidy.

The salient features of the scheme are as under:

- (i) Inclusion of Balvatika :  The provision of hot cooked meal to children of preschools 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 Government-aided schools.

(a)

- (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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- (b) & (c): The target on achievement in terms of funds allocated and released under the Scheme during the last three years are as under:

(Rs. in Crore)

| 2018-19    | 2018-19        | 2019-20    | 2019-20        | 2020-21    | 2020-21        |
|------------|----------------|------------|----------------|------------|----------------|
| Allocation | Funds Released | Allocation | Funds Released | Allocation | Funds Released |
| 9947.74    | 9518.08        | 9912.21    | 9705.94        | 12900.00   | 12882.11       |

- (d) &  (e):  The  Budget  Estimate  (BE)  of  the  scheme  for  2021-22  is  Rs  11500  crore which has been revised to Rs. 10233.75 crore at RE stage as per the outlay appraised by Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) based on estimated requirements.

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