PM POSHAN (Mid Day Meal) Scheme in Assam

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About the Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, aims to enhance enrollment, retention, and attendance in schools while improving nutritional levels among children. This scheme is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in Assam, covering all government and government-aided primary and upper primary schools.

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Scheme Overview

Feature	Details
Scheme Name	Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN)
Previously Known As	Mid-Day Meal Scheme
Implemented In Assam	Since 2004-05
New Name Adopted	September 2021
Preparatory Class Coverage	Included since April 2022

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Coverage in 2023-24

Coverage of Schools

Category	Primary	Upper Primary & STCs	Total
Institutions	34,390	9,950	44,340

Coverage of Children

Stage	Total Children	Average Children Covered	% of Coverage
Bal Vatika	2,42,802	2,12,570	87.55%
Lower Primary (LP)	25,79,799	22,91,698	88.83%
Upper Primary (UP)	12,64,767	11,18,944	88.47%
Total	40,87,368	36,23,212	88.64%

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Key Components of PM POSHAN

1. Cooking Cost (Per Child Per Day)

Stage	Up to October 2022	Since October 2022
Lower Primary (LP)	Rs. 4.97	Rs. 5.45
Upper Primary (UP) & NCLP	Rs. 7.45	Rs. 8.17

• Cost of Food Grains (Rice): Rs. 3,000/- per MT
• Transportation Cost: Rs. 1,360/- per MT
• Honorarium to Cook cum Helper: Rs. 1,000/- per month for 10 months (Govt. of India) + Rs. 500/- per month (Govt. of Assam)

2. Nutritional Entitlements Per Child Per Day

Item	Primary	Upper Primary
Calorie	450 Kcal	700 Kcal
Protein	12 gms	20 gms
Food Grains	100 gm	150 gm
Pulses	20 gm	30 gm
Vegetables	50 gm	75 gm
Oil & Fat	5 gm	7.5 gm
Salt & Condiments	As per need	As per need

• Egg Inclusion: One egg per week since April 2021 (soya for vegetarians)
• Fortified Rice: Only fortified rice (containing Iron, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid) is supplied since April 2022.

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Weekly Suggested Menu

Day	Proposed Menu
Monday	Millet-based recipe or Rice, Dal, Vegetables
Tuesday	Khichdi (Rice with Pulses), Vegetables
Wednesday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables, and Egg (Soya for vegetarians)
Thursday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables
Friday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables
Saturday	Khichdi or local option with Rice, Pulses, Vegetables

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Best Practices and Innovations in Assam

1. Lemon Revolution

• Lemon trees planted in 25,763 schools for Vitamin C supply and natural fencing.

2. Sabka Prayas – Sampriti Bhojan

• Community participation where families contribute food.
• 2958 families contributed Rs. 37.67 lakh worth of food in 4584 schools, benefiting 3,62,321 children.

3. Additional Egg Provision

• Two additional eggs per week introduced for Tea Garden (since August 2023) and Char & Chapori areas (since December 2023).
• Beneficiaries:
  • Tea Garden Areas: 2,49,042 children (2,429 schools)
  • Char & Chapori Areas: 2,23,854 children (1,980 schools)

4. Women Self-Help Groups

• Mothers’ Groups monitor food safety and assist in cooking and serving meals.

5. Dining Halls

• Community-supported construction of dining halls in various schools.

6. Hand-Washing Facilities

• Low-cost, high-value group handwashing model implemented, reducing diseases like diarrhea.

7. Waste Disposal and Bio-Compost

• Schools are provided garbage bins, and many have started bio-composting waste to grow organic vegetables.

8. School Nutrition Gardens

• 31,626 schools have well-maintained gardens.
• Encouragement for Eco Clubs and students to participate.

9. Food Safety Guidelines

• Guidelines translated into Assamese, Bengali, and Bodo.
• Training provided to Cook cum Helpers, SMC members.

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Standard Operating Procedures in Assam

• Cooked meals served after the 4th period.
• Daily stock register maintained for food grains.
• Food safety and hygiene checks before cooking.
• Weekly menu displayed in schools.
• Compulsory food tasting by teachers & SMC members before serving meals.

This initiative plays a crucial role in ensuring proper nutrition and education for children across Assam. The community-driven innovations like Lemon Revolution, Sampriti Bhojan, and School Nutrition Gardens have further strengthened the PM POSHAN Scheme in the state.

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Stay updated with APSC ORG official website for further details and notifications.