Lok Sabha Question No. 2552 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: PM-POSHAN  Scheme in Tamil  Nadu and West Bengal
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy, Shri Malaiyarasan D

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO2552 ANSWERED ON- 17.03.2025

## PM-POSHAN Scheme in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal

## 2552.   Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy:

Shri Malaiyarasan D:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the features of the PM-POSHAN Scheme;
- (b) the number of schools and students covered under the scheme within Tamil Nadu and in Jalpaiguri in West Bengal;
- (c) the  funds  allocated  for  the  implementation  of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Poshan  Shakti Nirman (erstwhile Mid-day-Meal scheme) (PM-POSHAN) within Tamil Nadu so far;
- (d) the impact  of the scheme  on  the  health, enrollment  and  attendance  rates of students,especially in rural and disadvantaged regions; and
- (e) the  steps  being  taken  to  improve  the  implementation  of  the  scheme  in  remote areas,where logistical challenges might affect timely delivery?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b): PM  POSHAN  Scheme  is  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  implemented  in partnership  with  the  States  and  UTs.  This  Scheme  is  implemented  across  the  country including in rural and backward regions and covers all children of Balvatika (just before class I)  and  Classes  I-VIII  studying  in  Government  and  Government-Aided  Schools.  The objectives of the Scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for majority of children in India, viz. hunger and education by:

- i) Improving the nutritional status of children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class I)  and  classes  I-VIII  in  Government  and  Government-Aided  Schools  without  any discrimination.
2. ii) Encouraging  poor  children,  belonging  to  disadvantaged  sections,  to  attend  school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
3. iii) Providing  nutritional  support  to  children  of  elementary  stage  in  drought  /  disaster affected areas during summer vacation and disaster times.

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 children  of  classes  I  to  VIII  studying  in  Government  and  Government-aided 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.

The  Scheme  is  providing  one  hot  cooked  and  nutritious  meal  to  all  children  studying  in Balvatika  (just  before  class-I)  and  classes  I  to  VIII  of  Government  and  Government-aided schools across the country including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The number of schools and students covered under the scheme within Tamil Nadu and in Jalpaiguri in West Bengal is as under: -

| State /District         | Schools   | Students   |
|-------------------------|-----------|------------|
| Tamil Nadu              | 43,038    | 33,86,770  |
| Jalpaiguri(West Bengal) | 2218      | 2,50,073   |

(c): Programme Approval Board (PAB) has allocated a total amount of Rs. 702.12 crore for the State of Tamil Nadu, of which Rs. 443.03 crore is the Central share and Rs. 259.09 crore is the minimum mandatory State share for the Year 2024-25. The funds allocated for the implementation of the PM-POSHAN to the State of Tamil Nadu for the last ten years is as under :-

| Year    |   Central Assistance Released (Rs in lakh) |
|---------|--------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                                    63991.1 |
| 2015-16 |                                    44253.8 |
| 2016-17 |                                    42846.1 |
| 2017-18 |                                    42506.3 |
| 2018-19 |                                    42054.6 |
| 2019-20 |                                    43121.5 |
| 2020-21 |                                    49221.7 |
| 2021-22 |                                    23264.9 |
| 2022-23 |                                    47700.1 |
| 2023-24 |                                    39852.5 |

(d) & (e): The  State  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu  has  reported  that  the  impact  of  the scheme  on  health,  enrolment  and  attendance  rates  of  students,  especially  in  rural  and disadvantaged regions is very significant. In rural areas upto 8 th std 7,41,812 and 9 th & 10 th std 1,80,252 no. of  children are getting benefited under this scheme. The daily attendance is being maintained at the school level and the percentage is around 95% at an average. As per the  sample  evaluation  study  conducted  by  the  Department  of  Evaluation  and  Applied Research, Tamil Nadu in selected districts the findings are as follows:

- Overall, the majority of the respondents, both boys and girls, have a normal BMI.
- Among boys, 59% fall into the normal BMI category.
- For girls, 63% have a normal BMI.
- 65% of rural students have a normal BMI.  In urban areas, 60% of sample students have a normal BMI.

PM POSHAN Scheme, being Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is implemented in partnership with States/ UTs and the overall responsibility for smooth functioning of the scheme lies with the State Governments and UT Administrations. The Government of India has issued detailed guidelines  on  improve  the  implementation  of  the  scheme  to  all  the  States/UTs.  These guidelines  are  available  on  official  website  https://pmposhan.education.gov.in  .  In  order  to improve the implementation of the scheme in remote areas, the Central Government provides 100% assistance  for  cost  of  foodgrains  including  transportation  cost,  the  scheme  inter-alia provides elaborate monitoring mechanism i.e. Empowered Committee under the Chairpersonship of Hon'ble Union Education Minister, Programme Approval Board (PAB) under the Chairpersonship of Secretary (DoSE&L), State Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee under the Chairpersonship of Chief Secretary, a District level Committee under the Chairpersonship of senior-most MP  of  Lok  Sabha, District level Steering-cumMonitoring Committee under the Chairpersonship of District Collector. Further, Joint Review Missions (JRMs) consisting of nutritional experts review the scheme through field visits and assess  the  actual  implementation  of  the  Scheme  at  the  ground  level  as  &  when  required. These guidelines, inter-alia, provides for instructions to schools  to procure Agmark quality and branded items for preparation of meals, training to Cook-cum-Helpers, tasting of meals by members of School Management Committee including at least one teacher before serving the  hot  meal  to  children.  Further,  the  Mid-Day  Meal  Rules,  2015  provide  for  mandatory testing  of  food  samples  by  Government  Food  Research  Laboratory  or  any  laboratory accredited  or  recognized  by  law  to  ensure  that  the  meals  meet  nutritional  standards  and quality.  The  Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI)  is  given  responsibility  for  making  available food grains of best available quality, meeting the parameters of Fair Average Quality (FAQ). The FCI appoints a Nodal Officer for each State to take care of various problems in supply of food grains under the PM POSHAN Scheme.

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