--- title: "PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Scheme): UPSC GS2 Guide" description: "PM POSHAN is India's scheme providing free cooked midday meals to children in government schools, crucial for nutrition and education in early years." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/pm-poshan-mid-day-meal-scheme" --- [New](https://modeldiplomat.com/) # Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026 TL;DR - PM POSHAN is India's centrally sponsored scheme providing one free cooked midday meal to children in government and government-aided schools from pre-primary to Class VIII. - What is the difference between PM POSHAN and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme? - Which ministry administers PM POSHAN, and how is funding shared? - Is the midday meal a legal entitlement in India? - What nutritional norms does PM POSHAN prescribe? [Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026 PM POSHAN is India's centrally sponsored scheme providing one free cooked midday meal to children in government and government-aided schools from pre-primary to Class VIII. Go beyond the definition ## Research PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) Scheme like a delegate Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students. ## Timeline 1. 15 August 1995 It is the contemporary form of the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools, launched on as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Ed… 2. 28 November 2001 Recognising the school-feeding entitlement as a distinct, justiciable right traces to the Supreme Court's interim order of in \*People's Union for Civil Libe… 3. 16 July 2013 The Dharmasati Gandaman tragedy in Bihar on , in which 23 children died from pesticide-contaminated food, prompted national food-safety guidelines and mandat… ## Positions at a glance ### Supporters PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India that guarantees one nutritious cooked meal each school day to children enrolled in government, government-aided and special training centre schools from the foundational stage (Bal Vatika/pre-primary) through Class VIII. It is the contemporary form of the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools, launched on 15 August 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education. The scheme acquired statutory force when it was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (Section 5), which created a legal entitlement to a midday meal for children up to Class VIII. The Union Cabinet rechristened the programme PM POSHAN in September 2021 and approved its continuation for the five years from 2021–22 to 2025–26. Administrative responsibility rests with the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Ministry of Education, distinguishing it from the nutrition schemes housed under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. ### Opponents Controversies cluster around food safety, social discrimination and fiscal adequacy. The Dharmasati Gandaman tragedy in Bihar on 16 July 2013, in which 23 children died from pesticide-contaminated food, prompted national food-safety guidelines and mandatory teacher tasting. Field studies and CAG audits have documented caste-based discrimination in seating and in the appointment of cooks, irregular cooking-cost releases, and inflated enrolment claims. Critics note that cooking-cost and cook honoraria revisions have lagged food inflation, eroding meal quality, and that cook-cum-helpers—predominantly women—remain honorarium workers without formal wages. The COVID-19 school closures from 2020 forced a shift to dry-ration distribution and DBT in lieu of hot meals, exposing the programme's dependence on physical school attendance. ## Research it like a delegate Research on modeldiplomat.com ## Ask a follow-up about PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) Scheme Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers. [Start research on PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) Scheme](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20PM%20POSHAN%20\(Mid-Day%20Meal\)%20Scheme%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources) Example In August 2023, the Tamil Nadu government extended its midday-meal model by launching a free breakfast scheme for primary-school students, supplementing the cooked lunch already provided under PM POSHAN. Keep learning ## Go deeper than the definition [Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services) ## Take PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) Scheme beyond the glossary Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.