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PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana 2026: Extension, Benefits, Eligibility and Official Website

Updated: August 21, 2026By Sarkari Yojana Team156 views
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हिन्दीमराठीবাংলাગુજરાતીதமிழ்తెలుగుಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംਪੰਜਾਬੀଓଡ଼ିଆঅসমীয়া

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN) is a centrally sponsored scheme run by the Ministry of Education for students in government and government-aided schools. The scheme, earlier known as the Mid Day Meal Scheme, provides one hot cooked meal to children studying in Classes 1 to 8. The Union government has extended the scheme till September 30, 2026, or until the approval of the scheme for the 16th Finance Commission cycle, whichever comes earlier. This article explains the latest updates, benefits, eligibility, and other details of PM Poshan Yojana.

PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 29 September 2021 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The scheme replaced the earlier Mid-Day Meal Scheme and now covers around 11.80 crore children studying in about 11.20 lakh schools across the country.

Contents hide
What is PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana
Latest Update on PM Poshan Scheme 2026
Benefits of PM Poshan Yojana
Eligibility for PM Poshan Yojana
Nutrition Norms Under PM Poshan Yojana
Background of Mid Day Meal Scheme
Official Website of PM Poshan Yojana
FAQ's

What is PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana

PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana is the renamed and expanded version of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. It is one of the world's largest school nutrition programs and is run as a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013. The central government runs this scheme with the state governments, with the Centre bearing 60% of the food cost and states sharing 40% for general category states. For northeastern states and three Himalayan states, the sharing ratio is 90:10.

The scheme provides one hot cooked meal on every school day to students of Classes 1 to 8 in government and government-aided schools. It also covers Balvatika (pre-primary) children in government schools, which is a new addition under the National Education Policy 2020.

Latest Update on PM Poshan Scheme 2026

The term of PM Poshan Yojana ended on March 31, 2026. The Union Ministry of Finance has granted a temporary extension to the scheme till September 30, 2026, or the date of approval of the scheme for the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-27 to 2030-31), whichever is earlier. During this extension period, the scope, coverage, cost, and other terms of the scheme remain unchanged.

In March 2026, the Ministry of Education also revised the nutritional norms under the scheme. The revision mandates 100% fortified rice in all school meals from Class 1 to Class 8, raises the calorie requirement for primary school children by 15%, and introduces a weekly egg or milk provision in 11 aspirational district states.

Benefits of PM Poshan Yojana

PM Poshan Yojana provides a hot cooked meal to students on every school day. The meal helps improve the nutrition level of children, boosts school attendance, and reduces the gender gap in school participation. The scheme also supports women self-help groups and Food Producer Organisations by involving them in meal preparation and local procurement.

Along with the regular meal, the scheme includes special meals on festivals and important occasions through Tithi Bhojan, promotes school nutrition gardens, and carries out social audits in all districts to keep the process clear and fair. In drought or disaster-affected areas, the scheme continues to provide meals during summer vacations as well.

Eligibility for PM Poshan Yojana

All students studying in Class 1 to Class 8 in government or government-aided schools are eligible for PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana. The scheme also covers Balvatika (pre-primary) children in government schools. Around 11.80 crore students across 11.20 lakh schools benefit from the scheme.

Nutrition Norms Under PM Poshan Yojana

The scheme follows fixed nutrition norms for different classes. For primary classes (Class 1 to 5), each meal provides 450 kcal calories and 12 grams of protein. For upper primary classes (Class 6 to 8), each meal provides 700 kcal calories and 20 grams of protein.

The food composition includes food grains, pulses, vegetables, and oil and fat in fixed quantities. For primary classes, the meal includes 100 grams of food grains, 20 grams of pulses, 50 grams of vegetables, and 5 grams of oil and fat. For upper primary classes, the meal includes 150 grams of food grains, 30 grams of pulses, 75 grams of vegetables, and 7.5 grams of oil and fat.

Background of Mid Day Meal Scheme

The Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme was launched in the year 1995 with an aim to raise the nutrition level of school students in primary schools. The scheme aimed to provide a nutritious meal to students at least once a day. The MDM scheme later became a big success in improving nutrition among children and also played a major role in increasing the admission rate in schools.

In September 2021, the government renamed and restructured the Mid Day Meal Scheme as PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana. The new scheme expanded the coverage to include pre-primary (Balvatika) children and brought in new features like Tithi Bhojan, school nutrition gardens, and social audits.

Official Website of PM Poshan Yojana

Students, schools, and state education departments can get the latest updates, food grain allocation details, and other information from the official website of the scheme at pmposhan.education.gov.in. The scheme is run by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education.

FAQ's

Is PM Poshan Yojana still running?

Yes. The scheme has been extended till September 30, 2026, or until the approval of the scheme for the 16th Finance Commission cycle, whichever comes earlier. The terms of the scheme remain unchanged during this extension period.

Who can apply for PM Poshan Yojana?

Students studying in Class 1 to 8 in government or government-aided schools are covered under the scheme. Balvatika (pre-primary) children in government schools are also covered.

What is the official website of PM Poshan Yojana?

The official website of the scheme is pmposhan.education.gov.in. The scheme is run by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Related Latest Updates

5 Oct, 2026, 9:14 PM Maharashtra CM asks officials to explore extending PM POSHAN Yojana to Class 10

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told officials to check if Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana can go up to Class 10 instead of Class 8. He asked them to send a proposal.

He also told the School Education and Women and Child Development departments to make a joint plan. This plan should give district offices room to make sure students get fresh, healthy meals on time.

Operational directives

Fadnavis said cities should use central kitchens. Rural areas should use them too if possible. Remote and tribal spots can look at options via gram panchayats.

District collectors, Zilla Parishad CEOs and municipal commissioners should see what works best locally. Self-help groups should handle food delivery where they can.

The Chief Minister asked district collectors to hold meetings with nutrition committees. They need to plan adding local protein foods and millet dishes.

Current scheme status

Right now, the scheme covers students in Classes 1 to 8 across 85,206 schools.

Meals give 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for Classes 1-5. For Classes 6-8, it is 700 calories and 20 grams of protein.

24 Aug, 2026, 5:18 PM Uttar Pradesh Increases Honorarium for PM Poshan Cooks

Uttar Pradesh school cooks will receive a salary hike of ₹1,000 starting in the 2026-27 financial year. This raises the monthly honorarium for cooks to ₹3,000. Uttar Pradesh employs about 3.53 lakh cooks, 93 percent of whom are women. They also get ₹500 every year for uniforms through direct bank transfer.

PM Poshan Yojana details

PM Poshan Yojana supports over 1.46 crore students across 1.42 lakh schools in the state. Children get nutritious meals every day. Primary students get 450 calories and upper primary students get 700 calories.

Schools now have kitchen gardens to improve nutrition, with up to ₹5,000 available for their development. Also, 136 centralized kitchens are running across 25 districts to help with food distribution. Departments conduct regular social audits to keep the process clear, with 2,838 audits planned for 2026-27.

19 Aug, 2026, 5:05 AM Maharashtra Education Minister Orders Strict Quality Checks in Schools

Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse told officials that student welfare is the top priority. During a meeting, he said that school meals, uniforms, and building conditions must be good. Officials now have to check food grain quality, kitchen cleanliness, and facilities like toilets and playgrounds regularly.

The government is focusing on Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana and the free uniform scheme. Minister Bhuse warned that headmasters and cluster heads will face action if they ignore quality and cleanliness rules. Also, schools must provide separate, clean toilets for girls and easy access for students with disabilities. To pay for repairs, the minister suggested using district planning committee budgets and local funds.

Quality and safety rules for schools

Primary Education Director Sharad Gosavi said schools must follow Food and Drug Administration rules, including tasting meals before serving them. Since 85 percent of schools have kitchen gardens, the plan is to keep these going with better local monitoring.

30 Jul, 2026, 1:21 AM Rising Egg Prices Impact Karnataka Midday Meal Scheme

Schools in Karnataka are having trouble keeping up with the food quality rules for Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme. Market prices for eggs have gone above ₹8, but the government currently pays only ₹6 per egg. This amount is not enough to buy them.

Many schools now give students bananas instead. Other schools have cut down on portions or stopped giving out eggs for now. Local shops in places like Mysuru charge up to ₹9 per egg. This puts a lot of pressure on school budgets.

Budget proposals under review

Department officials confirmed that a request to raise the budget for each egg is sitting with the finance department. They are looking into this proposal right now.

14 Jul, 2026, 4:01 AM West Bengal Increases Hospital Diet and School Meal Budgets

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced an increase in food allocations for government hospitals and schools. From August 1, 2026, the daily diet cost for patients in state-run health centres will increase from 56.64 to 110. This change helps make sure patients get better nutrition during treatment.

Increased food quality

School meals are also getting an upgrade. Under the PM POSHAN scheme, the daily cooking cost for pre-primary and primary students will increase from 6.78 to 10. The state government will cover the additional cost to maintain quality. These updates come after nine years of flat rates and show a focus on public health and child development.

8 Jul, 2026, 9:10 AM Meghalaya Begins Social Audit of Government Schemes

Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency has started its social audit process for 2026-27 financial year. This scheme will make sure there is clarity and responsibility in how public money is spent in the state.

Officials will visit villages, check details door-to-door, and hold public meetings to see how welfare programs are working. They will look at many different schemes. These include MGNREGA, NSAP, PM Poshan, Jal Jeevan Mission, and PMKSY.

Social Audit Process

It is very important for eligible people and citizens to take part to make this work. Audit results will lead to formal action reports. This will help improve how services reach people.