PM Poshan scheme gets Cabinet’s approval: 10 important things you need to know

The Union Cabinet has approved the rollout of the 'PM POSHAN in Schools' scheme.

New Delhi: In a landmark decision, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, September 29, gave its nod to the rollout of the 'PM POSHAN in Schools' scheme - a school meal programme that aims to provide hot cooked meals to students in elementary classes in government and government-aided schools across the country. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) took the step in a meeting on Wednesday, along with several other key economic decisions aimed at bolstering India’s economic and social development. 

Here are the top 10 most important things to know about the PM Poshan scheme 

1. PM POSHAN scheme will provide mid-day meals to students of more than 11.2 lakh government and government-aided schools. 

2. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said that the scheme will run for five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26. 

3. About Rs 1.31 lakh crores will be spent on the scheme, Thakur added. 

4. Central government will fund Rs 54,061.73 crores. 

5. The scheme is launched with a financial outlay of Rs 31,733.17 crore from the state governments and union territory administrations.  

6. Additionally, the Central government will also incur the additional cost of grains, which would be about Rs 45,000 crore.  

7. The PM POSHAN scheme will provide hot meals to school students in classes 1 to 8th. 

8. More than 11.80 crore students are expected to benefit from the scheme. 

9. PM POSHAN scheme was previously named Mid-Day meal scheme. Also Read: Leaked! Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro prices are out ahead of launch: Check price, features

10. People from different communities will be encouraged to cook meals to encourage ‘Tithi Bhojan’. Also Read: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro deliveries get delayed, here’s why Apple is lagging