Scholarship
PM POSHAN - Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme For Holistic Nourishment(PM POSHAN)
Overview
About PM POSHAN
PM POSHAN is a centrally sponsored school meal scheme run by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education. The Union Cabinet approved it in September 2021, folding in the earlier National Programme for Mid-Day Meal in Schools, long known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
The programme traces back to the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, launched on 15 August 1995. Its benefit is in kind, not cash: one hot cooked meal on every school day, prepared and served at the school itself. The Ministry sets the framework and cost norms, while State Governments and Union Territory administrations carry the day-to-day responsibility for cooking and serving the meal.
The meal reaches children in Government and Government-aided schools, from Balvatika (the pre-primary year before Class I) through Class VIII. The Government has put the scheme's reach at roughly 11.8 crore children across about 11.2 lakh schools, one of the largest school feeding programmes in the world. If your child studies in an eligible Government or Government-aided school in these classes, the meal is provided free.
Sources: India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) – Mid-Day Meal (PM POSHAN) Scheme · Wikipedia – Midday Meal Scheme (PM POSHAN)
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry of Education
Central Government
Department of School Education and Literacy · Ministry Of Education
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Centrally Sponsored Scheme |
| Category | Health & Wellness, Social welfare & Empowerment |
| Beneficiaries | Individual |
| Benefit type | In Kind |
| Application mode | Offline |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Current | Applications open | 2018-03-08 |
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| The applicant must be a citizen of India. | |
| The applicant must be studying in a Primary or Upper Primary class (Class 1st to Class 8th) in a Government or a Government-aided school. |
What you get
Award & benefits
- Nutrition norm per child per day: Primary: Calorie – 450; Protein - 12 gms
- Upper Primary: Calorie – 700; Protein - 20 gms
- Food norms per child per day: Primary: Food grains - 100 gms; Pulses - 20 gms; Vegetables - 50 gms; Oil & fat - 5 gms, Salt & condiments - As per need.
- Upper Primary: Food grains - 150 gms; Pulses - 30 gms; Vegetables - 75 gms; Oil & fat – 7.5 gms, Salt & condiments - As per need.
- Under the Scheme, there is the provision of hot cooked meals to children of pre-schools or Bal Vatika (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 schools.
What to prepare
Documents required
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply offline
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
PM POSHAN – FAQ
Disclaimer
Scheme details are compiled from myScheme, the Government of India’s official scheme-discovery platform, and are reproduced without alteration. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility change between cycles — always confirm on the official links above before applying. Expertie does not process applications or charge fees.