The Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, now officially known as PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) since its renaming in September 2021. It is the world's largest school meal program, designed to provide one hot cooked meal to children in government and government-aided schools.
The scheme was launched on August 15, 1995, as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE). Its primary objective was to combat "classroom hunger," thereby boosting enrollment, attendance, and retention, and improving the nutritional status of children from poor socio-economic backgrounds. The provision of a cooked meal was made mandatory across all states following a Supreme Court order on November 28, 2001.
The scheme provides a hot cooked meal to every child aged six to fourteen, studying in classes I to VIII. The meal must adhere to prescribed nutritional standards, such as providing 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for primary students. The mechanism is governed by the Mid-Day Meal Rules, 2015, which were notified under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). A key provision of these rules is the requirement for the State Government to pay a Food Security Allowance to beneficiaries if a meal is not provided for three consecutive school days or five days in a month.
The scheme is connected to the overarching National Food Security Act, 2013, and is implemented by the Ministry of Education. As a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the financial cost is typically shared between the Centre and the States in a 60:40 ratio. The recent change to PM POSHAN extended the coverage to pre-primary students in Bal Vatikas and introduced a focus on monitoring nutritional levels and promoting nutritional gardens.