A Critical Review of Mid-Day Meal Scheme (PM-POSHAN) Using UDISE+ 2024–25 Data

Introduction

The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, now rebranded as the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN), stands as the world’s largest school feeding program, serving over 118 million children daily across 1.12 million schools. Launched nationally on August 15, 1995, as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), it aims to combat classroom hunger, boost enrollment, retention, and attendance, while addressing malnutrition among school-aged children. This review, aligned with the *Education for All in India* platform’s advocacy for universal, equitable education and nutrition, examines the scheme’s historical evolution, current parameters, implementation challenges, and policy implications. Drawing on the recent critique by West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on November 28, 2025, who accused the central government of inadequate funding-leading to state-borne costs for enhanced menus like eggs and chicken twice weekly-we explore how fiscal constraints undermine nutritional goals. By integrating scholarly insights, this article underscores the need for extension to secondary and higher secondary levels, as advocated by our platform, to foster holistic child development.

Coverage-of-Mid-day-Noon-Meal-Scheme-2024-25

Historical Perspectives: Origins and Coverage Expansion

The MDM Scheme’s roots trace back to pre-independence efforts to address child hunger and illiteracy. In 1925, the Madras Municipal Corporation introduced a midday meal program for disadvantaged children in Chennai, providing “tiffin” (light meals) to boost attendance in a single school with 165 students. This initiative, inspired by P. Theagaraya Chetty, expanded under French administration in Puducherry by 1930. Post-independence, Tamil Nadu pioneered state-wide implementation in 1956 under Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, targeting dropout reduction and nutritional upliftment for children aged 2-10, initially covering 65,000 students across 1,300 centers. By the mid-1980s, states like Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu had universalized cooked meals for primary students using state funds, with 12 states following by 1990-91.

The national rollout in 1995 began with dry rations (100g food grains per child/day) in 2,408 blocks, focusing on primary education (Classes I-V). A pivotal Supreme Court directive in 2001 (PUCL vs. Union of India) mandated cooked meals nationwide, providing at least 300 calories and 8-12g protein daily, shifting from dry rations to hot meals. Expansion in 2007 extended coverage to upper primary (Classes VI-VIII), increasing caloric norms to 700 calories and 20g protein with 150g grains. By 2021, PM-POSHAN included pre-primary (Bal Vatika) students, reaching 11.8 crore children in government, aided, and special training centers, supported by the National Food Security Act, 2013. This evolution reflects a commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 24), yet coverage remains limited to elementary levels, excluding secondary education despite rising adolescent malnutrition.

Current Parameters, State Innovations, and Implementation Challenges

Nutritional Standards and Central Assistance

Under PM-POSHAN (2021-26, with ₹54,061 crore central outlay), meals must meet minimum norms: 450 calories and 12g protein for primary (100g grains), and 700 calories and 20g protein for upper primary (150g grains), including pulses, vegetables, and oils. Cooking costs, revised to ₹6.78 (primary) and ₹10.17 (upper primary) per child/day effective May 1, 2025, cover ingredients and fuel, shared 60:40 (Centre:State) for general states and 90:10 for special categories. Food grains are supplied free by the Centre at ₹3/kg, with transport subsidies up to ₹100/quintal in special states. Infrastructure support includes kitchen construction (₹20m² for 100 students) and cook-cum-helper honorariums (₹1,000/month minimum, one per 25 students).

State Extensions and Enhanced Menus

While national coverage halts at Class VIII, states like Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Rajasthan have extended MDM to secondary/higher secondary levels. Tamil Nadu’s Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme covers Classes I-XII, incorporating eggs, fruits, and millets for 1.5 crore students. Kerala provides egg-fried rice and microgreens; Andhra Pradesh includes fish in coastal areas. West Bengal’s recent addition of eggs/chicken twice weekly exemplifies state innovation, fully state-funded at an extra ₹4/dish amid central shortfalls. These extensions enhance retention (up 10-15% in Tamil Nadu) but strain budgets, with Tamil Nadu allocating ₹3,000 crore annually.

Challenges in Single-Teacher and Small Schools

In rural India, approx 25% of primary schools are single-teacher setups with <50 students, complicating MDM delivery. Teachers often double as cooks, diverting time from instruction (up to 2 hours/day), leading to irregular meals and teacher burnout. Small schools face procurement delays, inadequate storage (e.g., no rodent-proof bins), and hygiene issues, with approx 30% lacking clean water. Basu’s concerns echo national trends: meager allocations (₹6.78 primary/child) prove “inadequate” for quality, forcing teachers to subsidize from pockets.

Current Coverage and Systemic Exclusion: UDISE+ 2024–25


As per the latest UDISE+ 2024–25 data, India has 14.71 lakh schools with a total enrolment of 246.93 million children. Out of these, government and government-aided schools together number around 10.90 lakh and account for 150.1 million students, representing 60.8 % of the total enrolment.

However, the PM-POSHAN (mid-day meal) scheme currently covers only these government and government-aided institutions. Private unaided recognised schools, which comprise 3.40 lakh institutions and enrol 95.8 million children (38.8 % of the total student population), remain completely outside the scheme’s ambit.
Category (2024–25) Schools Enrolment (million) % of Total Enrolment
Total Schools & Enrolment 14,71,473 246.93 100 %
Government + Govt Aided (covered) 10,90,365 150.1 60.8 %
Private Unaided Recognised (excluded) 3,39,583 95.8 38.8 %
Covered by PM-POSHAN ~10.9 lakh 103.2 41.8 % only

Source: UDISE+ 2024–25

As a result, only about 10.9 lakh schools and only 103.2 million children – just 41.8 % of all enrolled students – actually receive mid-day meals under PM-POSHAN. This leaves nearly 144 million children, including the entire 95.8 million enrolled in private unaided schools, without access to this crucial nutritional support. In short, more than one-third of India’s school children are  excluded from the national mid-day meal programme in the academic year 2024–25.

MDM is restricted to government/government-aided schools, excluding 12 crore students in private unaided institutions (45% of enrollment). This exacerbates inequities, as low-income families opting for affordable private schools (fees approx ₹500-1,000/month) for perceived quality still face malnutrition barriers. Problems include no subsidies, leading to around 20% higher dropout among private low-fee students, and fragmented nutrition access. Pilot inclusions in states like Delhi show 15% attendance gains, but scaling requires policy reform.


Rural Implementation Hurdles

Rural schools (80% of MDM sites) grapple with supply chain delays (grains arrive 2-3 months late in 40% cases), infrastructure deficits (50% lack kitchens), and monitoring gaps. Caste discrimination persists: in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Dalit cooks used to face boycotts, reducing intake by 30%. COVID-19 exacerbated issues, with dry rations substituting hot meals, halving nutritional impact.

State-wise Cooking & Delivery Models: 2024–25

Across India, states have adopted diverse and innovative models to prepare and deliver mid-day meals, each tailored to local strengths:

  • Tamil Nadu operates one of the largest centralised systems in the country, supported by 403 dedicated kitchens, many run in partnership with Akshaya Patra. The state stands out for providing eggs five days a week, ensuring high protein intake.
  • Karnataka relies heavily on the Akshaya Patra Foundation and other NGOs, operating 63 ISO-certified centralised kitchens that maintain stringent quality and hygiene standards.
  • Odisha has empowered women through its Mission Shakti programme, engaging over 6,500 women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to cook and serve meals. This decentralised community-led model has consistently recorded the highest hygiene and satisfaction scores in national evaluations.
  • Rajasthan follows a unique parent-participation approach called Annapurna Mata, where mothers take turns supervising cooking and distribution. This simple yet powerful system has led to an impressive 80 % reduction in pilferage and leakages.
  • West Bengal prefers complete school-level preparation using locally appointed cook-cum-helpers. The state government fully funds the addition of eggs or chicken twice a week, making the meal more nutritious and palatable.
State Dominant Model Key Feature
Tamil Nadu Centralised + Akshaya Patra 403 kitchens, eggs 5 days/week
Karnataka Akshaya Patra + NGO 63 ISO-certified centralised kitchens
Odisha Women SHGs (Mission Shakti) 6,500+ SHGs, highest hygiene scores
Rajasthan Annapurna Mata (mothers roster) 80 % reduction in pilferage
West Bengal School-level cook-cum-helpers State fully funds eggs/chicken twice weekly

These five distinct models – from highly centralised NGO partnerships to fully community-driven and parent-monitored systems – showcase India’s rich experimentation in ensuring hot, hygienic, and appealing mid-day meals for children.


Cooked vs. Ready-to-Eat Debate

Post-2001, cooked meals were mandated in place of dry/ready-to-eat (RTE) rations to improve palatability and socialisation. RTE (e.g., fortified biscuits) suits remote areas but lacks freshness, resulting in 20% lower consumption compared with hot meals. Advocates favour cooked food for hygiene and community involvement, though RTE reduces pilferage by 15% (less leakage). Hybrid models in drought-prone areas balance logistics.


Community Participation: Mothers, Parents & SHGs

  • Odisha Model – 1.02 lakh women SHGs earn ₹38,000–₹55,000/month per group (CAG Odisha 2024)
  • Rajasthan Annapurna Mata – Mothers cook on rotation → better taste & monitoring
  • Chhattisgarh Deendayal Kitchen – Parents contribute rice in tribal areas

Kitchen Infrastructure Status: UDISE+ 2024–25

Facility % Schools Having
Functional kitchen shed 68.4 %
Cooking with LPG 74.8 % (25.2 % still use firewood)
Drinking water in kitchen 82.1 %
Rodent-proof storage bins 71.5 %

Norm: Minimum 20 sq.m. kitchen + 4 sq.m. per additional 100 children (PM-POSHAN Guidelines)


Media-Reported Quality Issues

Media scrutiny in 2025 highlights persistent lapses: Bihar’s July incident (50 students hospitalized from worm-contaminated meals) and Uttar Pradesh’s ₹11 crore scam underscore adulteration and embezzlement. Economic Times reports 25% of schools serve substandard food due to delayed funds, with pesticide traces in 10% of samples. Basu notes central “meagre allocation” forces states to cover extras, risking quality dilution.

Policy Recommendations: School Education for All in India

To make quality school education and nutrition truly universal in India, the following four transformative policy recommendations have been proposed:

  1. Extend free and compulsory education from the current Class VIII to Class XII: This would bring an additional 64.8 million children (currently in Classes IX–XII) under the Right to Education framework. The estimated annual additional cost is ₹18,000–22,000 crore. Multiple cost-benefit studies show that every rupee invested here yields ₹6–8 in long-term economic and social returns through higher productivity, reduced poverty, and better health.
  2. Bring private unaided schools into the nutrition and equity net: Instead of excluding the 95.8 million children studying in private schools, the government should include Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Below-Poverty-Line (BPL) students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) or education/nutrition vouchers. This will end the current systemic discrimination and allow millions of poor children in private schools to also receive mid-day meals (or their cash/nutrition equivalent).
  3. Achieve 100 % transition to LPG-based cooking in all mid-day meal kitchens: Replace firewood and inefficient fuels with clean LPG across the country, backed by a dedicated central subsidy. This single step will dramatically improve kitchen hygiene, reduce smoke-related health hazards for cooks (mostly women), save time, and enhance meal quality.
  4. Scale the proven Odisha and Rajasthan community models nationwide: Replicate Odisha’s highly successful women Self-Help Group (SHG)-led decentralised model (Mission Shakti) and Rajasthan’s mother-roster “Annapurna Mata” system across all states. Both models have delivered superior hygiene, zero pilferage outcomes, stronger community ownership, and greater transparency, and can be adapted to local contexts everywhere.

Together, these four measures would finally deliver genuine “School Education and Nutrition for All” – closing both coverage gaps and quality deficits in one decisive leap.

  1. Universalise up to Class XII (additional 64.8 million children) – estimated cost ₹18,000–22,000 crore/year
  2. Include private unaided schools via DBT/voucher for EWS/BPL children
  3. 100 % LPG transition with dedicated subsidy
  4. Scale Odisha/Rajasthan mother-SHG model nationwide.

Concluding Observations

Until every child in every recognised school receives a hot nutritious meal, India’s claim of running the “world’s largest school feeding programme” remains incomplete. Universalisation is not just desirable – it is a constitutional and moral imperative.

Suggested Readings

Education for All in India