PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan
- PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan: An Ambitious Scheme to Tackle Malnutrition in India
Malnutrition is a matter of major health concern. Despite significant progress in reducing malnutrition over the years, the problem persists, especially in rural and tribal areas. To address this issue, the Indian government launched the PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan. The scheme aims to provide a holistic and comprehensive approach to tackling malnutrition in the country.
The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, often known as PM-POSHAN, was authorized by the Union Cabinet in September 2021 with a budget of Rs. 1.31 trillion for the purpose of delivering one hot cooked meal at government and government-aided schools.
The programme took the place of the Midday Meal Scheme, a national programme providing lunch in schools.
It was introduced for a five-year initial phase (2021-22 to 2025-26).
- Key Aspects
Food Grains: Provide 100 grammes of food grains per kid each school day for primary students and 150 grammes for upper primary students at the NFSA rate, which is equal to one kilogram for coarse grains, two kilograms for wheat, and three kilograms’ for rice.
Ingredient costs, such as those for vegetables, cooking oil, other condiments, and fuel, are included in the cost of cooking. With effect from April 1, 2020, the cost of cooking per child per day is 4.97 for primary students and 7.45 for upper primary students.
Cook-cum-Helpers will receive an honorarium of $1000 per month for ten months each year.
Help with transportation: Based on PDS rates for moving food supplies from the FCI Godown to the entrance of the school. Transportation of food grains from FCI Godown to school doors for States other than NER and 2 Himalayan States and 2 UTs is limited to 1500 per MT at most.
MME (Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation): @ 3% of the total cost of foodgrains, cooking expenses, cooks’ wages, and transportation assistance.
Providing meals over the summer break in places hit by a drought or other disaster.
Kitchen-cum-store: according to the state schedule of rates and the standard for plinth areas. 20 square meters for schools with 100 pupils enrolled. For every extra student up to 100, an additional 4 square meters are needed.
Kitchen appliances: connected to enrollment.
Each school will have a nutritionist on staff whose job it is to see that issues like hemoglobin levels, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) are handled.
- Benefits
The scheme has a multi-sectoral approach, focusing on converging and integrating various government schemes and programs to achieve optimal results. The scheme focuses on several key areas, including health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education, agriculture, and social protection.
The scheme aims to improve child health outcomes by providing a range of services, including the overall health and nutrition counselling.
The scheme also aims to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities among school children. The scheme focuses on the construction of household toilets, community toilets, and piped water supply systems. The scheme also aims to create awareness among communities about the importance of safe drinking water and sanitation.
The scheme also focuses on improving the nutritional status of children by promoting the adoption of a diversified and balanced diet. The scheme provides a range of services, including the provision of nutritious food, micro-nutrient supplements, and behavior change communication. The scheme also aims to create awareness among communities about the importance of a balanced diet and good nutrition practices.
The scheme also aims to improve agricultural practices and promote the adoption of climate-resilient agriculture. The scheme focuses on providing training and support to farmers in sustainable agriculture practices, including crop diversification, crop rotation, and the use of organic fertilizers. The scheme also aims to create awareness among communities about the importance of sustainable agriculture practices.
The scheme also aims to provide social protection to vulnerable sections of society, i.e. the children. The scheme focuses on providing social security benefits, including improved access to health and nutrition services.
The scheme has a strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track progress and ensure accountability. The scheme aims to create a digital platform to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the scheme. The scheme also aims to conduct regular surveys to assess the impact of the scheme on the nutritional status of beneficiaries.
Recently, the central government asked state and union territory administrations to investigate the feasibility of introducing millets under the PM POSHAN Program, preferably in areas where eating millets is a common cultural practice.
Millets should be added to the midday meal programme (PM POSHAN Program), instead of rice and wheat, according to NITI Aayog.
- Conclusion
In conclusion, the PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Abhiyaan is an ambitious scheme to tackle malnutrition in India. The scheme has a multi-sectoral approach and focuses on converging and integrating various government schemes and programs to achieve optimal results. The scheme aims to improve maternal and child health outcomes, improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, promote the adoption of a diversified and balanced diet, improve agricultural practices, and provide social protection to vulnerable sections of society. The scheme also places great emphasis on technology and innovation and has a strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track progress and ensure accountability.
