Lok Sabha Question No. 2308 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Continuing of Nutrition in Affected Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No: 2308

ANSWERED ON- 04/08/2025

## Continuing of Nutrition in Affected Schools

2308. Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  the  details  of  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  continuity  of  nutrition  in affected schools under PM Poshan Scheme;

(b) whether any menu and nutrition standards is being revised in the light of inflation and if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  any  proposal  to  extend  kitchen  infrastructure  and  manpower,  if  so,  the  details thereof;

(d) the details of funds released to each State/UT during FY 2024-25 under this scheme; and (e) whether the Government proposes to provide morning meal or breakfast under the scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is one of the foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in partnership with the States and UTs for providing one hot cooked and nutritious meal to all children studying in Bal Vatika (just before  class-I)  and  classes  I  to  VIII  of  Government  and  Government-aided  schools.    The Scheme covers about 11 crore children in more than 10.35 lakh schools in all the States/ UTs. The overall responsibility for providing hot cooked and nutritious meal to the eligible children lies with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. For FY 2025-26, budget allocation for the PM Poshan Scheme is Rs. 12,500 crore by Government of India and the State/ UT share as per the sharing pattern is around Rs. 7,500 crore including additional funds for Honorarium to Cook-cum-Helpers and Supplementary Nutrition items.

The extant guidelines of the Scheme ensure 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.

(b) & (c): It may be noted that though PM POSHAN is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the Central Government provides 100% assistance for cost of foodgrains, transportation cost and  cost  of  Management  Monitoring  &  Evaluation  (MME).  The  foodgrain  allocation  by Government of  India  is  24.15  lakh  MTs  which  costs  around  Rs.  9000  crore.  Thus  overall allocation for the PM Poshan Scheme for FY 2025-26 is more than Rs. 30,000 crore including more than Rs. 21,500 crore made available by Government of India. For the components of material cost, honorarium to Cook-cum-Helpers (CCH), construction and repairing of Kitchencum-Store and procurement of Kitchen Devices the cost is shared between Centre and States/ UTs as per the approved sharing pattern. The material cost under PM POSHAN Scheme has been revised recently. The existing rates of material cost have been revised based on Consumer Price Index - Rural Laborers (CPI-RL) index. There is a provision of 5% of total recurring budget as the flexi component to be used by the States/ UTs as per their requirement for setting up of School Nutrition Gardens and provision of Supplementary Nutrition interventions viz., Chikki,  Eggs,  Milk,  Fruits  and  additional  food  items  etc.  The  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. As per the provisions of National Food Security Act, 2013 and the Guidelines of the scheme, the nutritional and food norms prescribed under the scheme are at Annexure-1.

The  overall  responsibility  for  smooth  functioning  of  the  Scheme  including  engagement  of Cook-cum-Helpers lies with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. PM Poshan  guidelines  provide  for  construction  and  repair  of  Kitchen-cum-Stores  (KCS)  and engagement of Cook-cum-Helpers (CCHs). It may be noted that more than 24 lakh CCHs are engaged under the Scheme of whom over 90% are women. Also, more than 97% Kitchen-cumStores  (KCS)  have  been  constructed  all  over  India.  Few  of  the  States/  UTs  are  utilizing Centralized Kitchen facilities to provide hot cooked meals to students. The Scheme, inter-alia, provides  that  the  Cook-cum-Helpers  and  kitchen  infrastructure  may  be  extended  if  student enrolment increases.

(d) & (e): The State-wise details of central assistance released under PM Poshan Scheme during  FY  2024-25  is  at Annexure-II. Under  the  PM  POSHAN  Scheme  one  hot  cooked nutritious meal is provided to all eligible children on all school working days, however, States/ UTs are free to provide breakfast and additional nutrients to children.

*****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2308 FOR 04.08.2025 RAISED BY ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI, HON'BLE MP REGARDING CONTINUING OF NUTRITION IN AFFECTED SCHOOLS

## Nutritional and food norms prescribed under PM Poshan Scheme

| Items                                        | For children of Primary classes              | For children of Upper Primary classes        |
|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day)     | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day)     | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day)     |
| Calorie                                      | 450                                          | 700                                          |
| Protein                                      | 12 gms                                       | 20 gms                                       |
| B) Quantum of Food Norms (Per child per day) | B) Quantum of Food Norms (Per child per day) | B) Quantum of Food Norms (Per child per day) |
| Food-grains                                  | 100 gms                                      | 150 gms                                      |
| Pulses                                       | 20 gms                                       | 30 gms                                       |
| Vegetables                                   | 50 gms                                       | 75 gms                                       |
| Oil &fat                                     | 5 gms                                        | 7.5 gms                                      |
| Salt &condiments                             | As per need                                  | As per need                                  |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2308 FOR 04.08.2025 RAISED BY ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI, HON'BLE MP REGARDING CONTINUING OF NUTRITION IN AFFECTED SCHOOLS

## Central Assistance Released under PM POSHAN Scheme during 2024-25

( Rs. in Lakh)

| S. No.           | States/UTs          | Central Assistance Released   |
|------------------|---------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1                | Andhra Pradesh      | 23907.01                      |
| 2                | Arunachal Pradesh   | 2621.77                       |
| 3                | Assam               | 85101.65                      |
| 4                | Bihar               | 122565.59                     |
| 5                | Chhattisgarh        | 32204.86                      |
| 6                | Goa                 | 1955.94                       |
| 7                | Gujarat             | 37215.53                      |
| 8                | Haryana             | 12166.07                      |
| 9                | Himachal Pradesh    | 9569.66                       |
| 10               | Jammu &Kashmir      | 11936.92                      |
| 11               | Jharkhand           | 35362.22                      |
| 12               | Karnataka           | 57303.34                      |
| 13               | Kerala              | 24067.13                      |
| 14               | Madhya Pradesh      | 66243.41                      |
| 15               | Maharashtra         | 105407.95                     |
| 16               | Manipur             | 2823.56                       |
| 17               | Meghalaya           | 9892.94                       |
| 18               | Mizoram             | 2661.46                       |
| 19               | Nagaland            | 2152.26                       |
| 20               | Odisha              | 50365.64                      |
| 21               | Punjab              | 18418.41                      |
| 22               | Rajasthan           | 59787.41                      |
| 23               | Sikkim              | 785.29                        |
| 24               | Tamil Nadu          | 45977.69                      |
| 25               | Telangana           | 11774.82                      |
| 26               | Tripura             | 6237.31                       |
| 27               | Uttarakhand         | 12084.24                      |
| 28               | Uttar Pradesh       | 122464.35                     |
| 29               | West Bengal         | -----                         |
| 30               | A&N Islands         | 475.23                        |
| 31               | Chandigarh          | 1196.21                       |
| 32               | D&NH and Daman &Diu | 1168.82                       |
| 33               | Delhi               | 12894.64                      |
| 34               | Lakshadweep         | 204.49                        |
| 35               | Ladakh              | 260.58                        |
| 36               | Puducherry          | 549.19                        |
| TOTAL (In Lakh)  | TOTAL (In Lakh)     | 989803.59                     |
| TOTAL (In Crore) | TOTAL (In Crore)    | 9898.04                       |