NEW DELHI: The Indian government has announced an increase in the funds for midday meals for school children starting May 1. For students in kindergarten and primary schools (classes 1 to 5), the funding per student per day will rise from ₹6.19 to ₹6.78. For students in upper primary schools (classes 6 to 8), it will go up from ₹9.29 to ₹10.17.
This change is part of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, which provides one hot meal every school day for about 112 million students in government and aided schools across the country. The government decided on this increase based on inflation, and it expects to spend an additional ₹954 crore in the financial year 2025-26.
Under the scheme, schools get funds to buy ingredients like rice, vegetables, oil, and spices, plus the fuel needed to cook the meals. The total cost of each meal comes to approximately ₹12.13 for primary students and ₹17.62 for upper primary students. This is the second time the meal funding has been increased in just six months.
In November, the government had previously raised the amount from ₹5.45 to ₹6.19 for younger students and from ₹8.17 to ₹9.29 for older students. However, economist Jean Dreze argues that the government still isn’t providing enough money for the scheme, making it hard for states to give students nutritious meals.
The government originally allocated ₹12,467.39 crore for the PM POSHAN scheme but later cut it down to ₹10,000 crore. By February 18, 2025, only ₹5,421.97 crore had been spent. For the next financial year, ₹12,500 crore has been set aside for the scheme. A government official stated that the funding adjustments are based on the consumer price index, which tracks price changes across different areas in the country.
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