General Questions
What is the difference between Mid Day Meal and PM POSHAN?
They are the same programme. The Mid Day Meal Scheme was renamed Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) in 2021, and the scope was widened to include the pre-primary Balvatika stage.
Who is eligible for the meal?
Children studying from Balvatika up to Class VIII in government, local body and government-aided schools are covered under the central scheme. Some states extend it to higher classes from their own funds.
Money and Quantity
How much is the cooking cost per child?
From 1 May 2025 the central cooking cost is ₹6.78 for Balvatika and primary and ₹10.17 for upper primary per child per day. After Odisha's state top-up, the effective per-child amount in the state is higher — around ₹11.15 for primary and ₹14.74 for upper primary.
How much rice does each child get?
A primary child receives 100 grams of rice per day and an upper primary child receives 150 grams. Rice is supplied free to schools.
What nutrition must the meal provide?
At least 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for a primary child, and 700 calories and 20 grams of protein for an upper primary child.
Menu, Eggs and Laddoo
Are eggs and laddoo part of the meal?
In Odisha the weekly menu includes egg curry on some days and a nutrition-rich laddoo on others, alongside rice with dalma or soybean curry. The exact item depends on the weekday.
Cooks and Reporting
How many cooks can a school have?
One cook-cum-helper for up to 25 students, two for 26 to 100, and one more for every additional 100 students.
How much are cooks paid in Odisha?
Odisha pays cook-cum-helpers ₹3,000 per month, for ten months in a financial year.
How is the daily meal reported?
Schools report the number of children fed each day, commonly through an SMS or app-based system, so that consumption can be monitored in near real time.