The Union Government is actively considering significant proposals to revamp the flagship school nutrition programme, the PM-POSHAN scheme. This comes after several states and union territories submitted concrete suggestions for its enhancement.
States Champion Breakfast Inclusion
In a notable development, seven states and UTs—Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Sikkim, Gujarat, and Lakshadweep—formally communicated to the Education Ministry between September and October 2025. Their central recommendation was to include the provision of breakfast under the existing PM-POSHAN (midday meal) scheme.
These suggestions were made in response to a specific request from the Education Ministry in September 2025. The Ministry had sought inputs from states and UTs for potential improvements to the scheme. This feedback is crucial for preparing a proposal for the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) to secure the scheme's continuation beyond the 2025-26 financial year.
A government source confirmed that one clear option now before the Ministry is to formally propose the inclusion of breakfast to the EFC. "This is being deliberated," the source stated. The push for breakfast aligns with the broader vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes student health and nutrition.
Demand to Extend Coverage to Higher Classes
Alongside the breakfast proposal, another major aspect under deliberation is the extension of the scheme beyond Class 8. Currently, the PM-POSHAN scheme provides hot, cooked meals to students from pre-primary to Class 8 in government and government-aided schools.
"The states have asked for it… since a student who goes from Class 8 to Class 9 stops getting midday meals. The idea is that nutritional food should be available to all students," explained the government source. This demand found support from eleven states and UTs, including Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Chandigarh. They suggested extending the scheme's benefits to students up to Class 12.
Past Hurdles and Future Decisions
The road to expansion is not without challenges. The last time the Education Ministry raised these matters with the Finance Ministry at the EFC stage, the proposal did not receive approval. The final decision rests on the upcoming EFC deliberations.
The PM-POSHAN scheme itself was last approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2021 for continuation from the 2021-22 to the 2025-26 financial years. As the end of this period approaches, the Centre's current deliberations on these state-led suggestions will determine the future scope and impact of one of the world's largest school feeding programmes.
