Bringing in the Youngest Children
One of the key changes when the Mid Day Meal Scheme became PM POSHAN in 2021 was the inclusion of the pre-primary Balvatika stage in government and government-aided schools. Earlier the scheme began at Class I; now the children in the foundational pre-primary year can also receive a hot cooked meal at school.
Why It Matters
The early years are the most critical for a child's physical and cognitive development. Reaching children at the Balvatika stage with a nutritious daily meal supports healthy growth at exactly the age when good nutrition has the greatest long-term effect. It also encourages young children to attend regularly and eases their transition into formal schooling.
What Balvatika Children Receive
Balvatika children are treated at the primary level for food norms. They receive a meal built around 100 grams of food grain, designed to meet the primary-stage targets of at least 450 calories and 12 grams of protein. In practice they eat the same daily menu as primary children — rice with egg, dalma or soybean curry, and the nutrition laddoo on the days it is served.
Calculation Treatment
For daily calculation, Balvatika is counted as its own category but uses the primary-stage rice quantity and cooking cost. The calculator includes a separate Balvatika entry so that schools can record these children distinctly while applying the correct primary-level rates and quantities.
Cooks and Coverage
The inclusion of Balvatika children adds to a school's enrolment, which in turn can affect the number of cook-cum-helpers it is entitled to under the slab system. Schools should make sure Balvatika children are reflected in enrolment so that both the meal entitlement and the cook engagement are calculated correctly.
A Fuller Foundation
By extending a warm, nutritious meal to the foundational stage, PM POSHAN strengthens the start of every child's school journey. For school staff, the main practical point is simple: count Balvatika children separately, feed them the primary-level meal, and record them accurately in the daily report and registers.