PM POSHAN (Mid Day Meal) | Samagra Shiksha Assam

PRADHAN MANTRI POSHAN SHAKTI NIRMAN, ASSAM (PM POSHAN - formerly Mid-Day-Meal Scheme)

To enhance enrolment, retention, attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), popularly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme, was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2,408 blocks in the country. From 2008-09 i.e w.e.f 1st April’2008, the programme covers all children studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and centres supported under SSA (presently Samagra Shiksha) of all areas across the country. Mid-Day Meal Scheme was started in the State of Assam during the 2004-05 financial year. The name of the scheme was changed to Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN) in September 2021. Children of preparatory Class i.e. Class just before Class-I in primary schools have been included in PM-POSHAN since April, 2022.

Coverage under the Scheme during the year 2023-24:

Coverage of Schools during 2023-24
Category	Primary	Upper Primary & STCs	Total
Institution	34,390	9,950	44,340

Coverage of Children during 2023-24
Stage	Total Children	Average Children Covered	% of Coverage
Bal Vatika	2,42,802	2,12,570	87.55
LP	25,79,799	22,91,698	88.83
UP	12,64,767	11,18,944	88.47
Total	40,87,368	36,23,212	88.64

B. Basics of PM-POSHAN:

a. Cooking Cost

Up to October, 2022, Rs.4.97 per child per day for LP Stage and Rs.7.45 per child per day for UP Stage & NCLP.

Since October, 2022, Rs.5.45 per child per day for LP Stage and Rs.8.17 per child per day for UP Stage & NCLP

Cost of food grains (rice): Rs. 3,000/- per MT.
Transportation cost: Rs. 1,360/- per MT.
Honorarium to Cook cum Helper: @Rs.1000/- per month for 10 months in a financial year as approved by Govt. of India and @Rs.500/- per month as additional honorarium for 10 months in a financial year approved by Govt. of Assam.
The food and nutrition entitlements of each eligible child under the scheme is given below:

S. N.	Item	Primary	Upper Primary
A. Nutrition norm per child per day
1.	Calorie	450	700
2.	Protein	12 gms	20 gms
B. Food norms per child per day
1.	Food grains	100 gm	150 gms
2.	Pulses	20 gms	30 gms
3.	Vegetables (leafy also)	50 gms	75 gms
4.	Oil & fat	5 gms	7.5 gms
5.	Salt & condiments	As per need	As per need

In addition to the above table, the compulsory provision of one egg per week per child was included under the scheme in Assam w.e.f. April, 2021 to meet the nutritional requirement of the children and boost immunity (soya for vegetarian children as a substitute of Egg).

f. Fortified Rice:

Only Fortified Rice is supplied under the scheme since April, 2022.

> Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) contains Iron, Vitamin B₁₂ and Folic Acid as fortificants.
> Pre-blended ready-to-use fortified rice will be provided by FCI (Food Corporation of India) in place of normal rice under where in a 50 kg bag, 500 gm of FRK (Fortified Rice Kernel) shall be added i.e. 49.5 kg normal rice shall be blended with 500 gm FRK Fortified Rice Kernel.
> There will be a ‘+F’ mark on the bag itself so that fortified rice can be differentiated.

C. Weekly Suggested Menu:

Day	Proposed Menu
Monday	In case of availability of millet stock in schools, millet-based recipe with Dal and Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables). In case of non-availability of millet stock or non-supply of millet; then Rice, Dal and Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables).
Tuesday	Khisidi (Rice with Pulses), Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables)
Wednesday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables) and Egg (Soya for vegetarian children)
Thursday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables)
Friday	Rice, Dal, Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables)
Saturday	Khisidi (Rice with Pulses) and Vegetables (including green leafy vegetables) or Local option with rice, pulses and vegetables (including green leafy vegetables)

D. Standard Operating Procedure Followed in the State :

Cooked meal is served to the children after 4^th period on every school day.
If for any reason, there will be less than 4 periods in any School Scheduled Day, then the cooked meal is served after the last period on that day.
Food and nutrition norms are displayed in a prominent place of every school and must be followed on every school day.
Weekly Suggestive Menu is displayed in all schools.
On every school scheduled day, Head of the Institution inform the Cook-cum-Helpers about number of children attended the school after taking daily attendance.
Cook-cum-Helpers prepare meal based on number of children attended the schools.
Food grain (rice/millet) is used as per norms and a number of children attended the schools and the records of the same are to be maintained by the Head of the Institutions in Daily Stock Register (Food Grains Register).
Head of the Institutions along with Cook-cum-Helpers compulsorily check the stock of food grains and other ingredients before use in order to confirm that no contamination or pests/insects or any other harmful materials are there in the food grains, vegetables and other ingredients.
After arrival in the schools, Cook-cum-Helpers sweep the kitchen-cum-store, wash the dishes & utensils, and check the food grains and ingredients. Then, they wash their hands and wear aprons and head gears.
During entire cooking process, Cook-cum-Helpers must be present in cooking area and cooking process must not be left unattended.
All food items are kept covered with lids.
Salts and condiments are kept in closed containers. Any teacher and one SMC member or one Mothers Group member must taste cooked meal 30 minutes before serving the same to the students & the schools have to maintain a Food Tasting Register for this purpose.

E. Best Practices/Innovation under the Scheme in the State of Assam:

i) Lemon Revolution:

Lemon is a good source of Vitamin-C, dietary fibre, Citric Acid and Iron. By plantation of lemon trees along the boundary wall of the schools, it will serve the purpose of natural fencing. The produce from lemon trees will be used in mid-day meal.

Initiatives have been taken to plant lemon trees along the boundary walls of the schools in 2023-24. Accordingly, 25,763 no schools planted lemon trees in the school.

Pic: 1,000 saplings of lemon trees from Agri-Growth Centre, West Karbi Anglong District

Lemon tree plantation at schools

ii. Sabka Prayas- Sampriti Bhojan:

Sabka Prayas-Sampriti Bhojan, a community participation programme, has been initiated under PM-POSHAN by relying on the traditional practice of providing food to people on special occasions such as festivals, anniversaries, birthdays, marriages, and days of national importance etc. in the state of Assam. Members of the community voluntarily provide nutritious and healthy food to the children as full meal or an additional food item in the form of sweets, namkeens, fruits or sprouts etc. on such special occasions/festivals.

During the year 2023-24 (up to November,2023), 2958 families contributed food items worth Rs.37.67 Lakh in 4584 schools and 362321 children were benefited under the initiative.

During 2019-20, hoardings on Sampriti Bhojan have been installed in two prominent places of all the districts to promote the concept.

Initiative has been taken to install a Notice Board in every school specifically for displaying the names of community members with photographs who have contributed in Sampriti Bhojan.

Teachers, students and community members are encouraged to celebrate their birthdays in schools and to contribute in Sampriti Bhojan.

iii. Provision of weekly two additional eggs under Flexibility Component:

Weekly two additional eggs were introduced for the eligible children of Tea Garden areas w.e.f. August, 2023 and to the eligible children of Char & Chapori areas of Assam w.e.f. December, 2023 in order to increase attendance of the children and also to improve nutritional status of the same. On every Monday and Friday, additional eggs are served in the schools of Tea Garden, Char & Chapori areas of Assam along with compulsory provision of one egg on every Wednesday. 2,49,042 children of 2,429 schools in Tea Garden Areas and 2,23,854 children of 1980 schools in Char & Chapori areas of Assam are benefited under the initiative.

iv. Involvement of women self-help groups:

Mothers Groups of the schools monitor the implementation of the scheme at school level. They help Cook-cum-Helpers in cooking and serving of cooked meal to the children. They monitor food safety, health and hygiene aspects of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the schools along with other stakeholders. Mothers Group members also taste cooked meal along with a teacher/SMC member 30 minutes before serving the same to the students.

v. Dining halls:

Though no funds were provided for the construction of dining halls by PM-POSHAN, Assam, with the active involvement and initiatives of the communities, some of the schools in the state of Assam have made very beautiful Dining Halls in the school campus for the purpose of PM-POSHAN.

vi. Hand washing facilities:

Assam model of Group Hand-washing before PM-POSHAN is one of the best model in the country with low cost high value principle, which is appreciated at the national/international level. As reported, this activity has enhanced enrolment and retention of children in schools vis-à-vis reduced the diseases like diarrhea, skin disease etc.

vii Waste disposal facilities:

All the schools of Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts were provided funds for procurement of Garbage Bins in 2019-20. Many schools of Assam have started system for making bio-compost with the waste materials and leftover of food items. This bio-compost is used in the School Nutrition Gardens for producing organic vegetables.

viii. Development of School Nutrition (Kitchen) Gardens:

At present, 31,626 schools are having well maintained School Nutrition Gardens.

District-level committees have been set up in all districts under the chairmanship of DCs and members from all line departments for the purpose. Initiatives have been taken to set up School Nutrition Gardens in the remaining schools in convergence with other line departments. SMCs of the concerned schools were requested to develop School Nutrition Gardens in their own schools with the help of SMC members, teachers, Eco Clubs headed by the Head Teacher/Head Master, enthusiastic students and interested community members. Following instructions were given to all the schools-

* Each & every school covered under Mid-Day Meal Scheme must have School Nutrition Garden irrespective of availability of land. Plants may be grown in small containers, cans, jars, discarded earthen pots, wooden peti, ceramic sinks, food tins, bags where land is not available.
Along with the plantation of plants/shrubs of seasonal vegetables of winter & summer seasons, plants/shrubs having vegetables & fruits throughout the year in all seasons and fit in with local food habits should be planted & nurtured. As for example, papaya plant.
* The scientific name as well as local name along with nutritional value of each plant/shrub must be displayed properly.
* Eco Club, enthusiastic children, SMC Members & interested persons from the community may look after the development of School Nutrition Gardens.
* The Head of the Institution is to depute a teacher of his/her school as Nodal Teacher for maintaining & developing School Nutritional Garden in his/her respective school.

ix. Printing of “Guideline on Food Safety & Hygiene at School Level Kitchens”:

Guidelines on food safety and hygiene for school level kitchens under PM-POSHAN Scheme have been translated into Assamese, Bengali and Bodo languages and distributed to the schools. PM-POSHAN Rules, 2015 have also been translated into Assamese, Bengali and Bodo languages and printed in the said booklet. Training has been imparted to Cook cum Helpers, President & Member Secretary of the SMCs on food safety and hygiene for school level kitchens and PM-POSHAN Rules, 2015.

Cooking Cost:

Up to October, 2022, Rs.4.97 per child per day for LP Stage and Rs.7.45 per child per day for UP Stage & NCLP.

Since October, 2022, Rs.5.45 per child per day for LP Stage and Rs.8.17 per child per day for UP Stage & NCLP

Downloads


Title	Size	Detail
Report on Sompriti Bhujan	2.26 MB
Social Audit Report - 2022-23	2.06 MB
Social Audit Report - 2021-22	3.21 MB

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