Glossary · Public sector
Mid-day meal (PM POSHAN) meaning
Mid-day meal means the free hot cooked lunch served in government schools, now under PM POSHAN. Who is covered, how it runs and how it is monitored, explained.
What does PM POSHAN cover?
The scheme's stated aim is to improve the nutritional status of children in Classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools, and it now extends to Balvatika in primary schools. The Ministry of Education sets national norms for food grains and nutrition per child per school day, which differ between primary and upper primary levels. Menus, timings and supplementary items vary by state, so check the current PM POSHAN scheme page and your state's own orders for exact quantities.
Many people still search for "mid meal" or "MDM". All three refer to the same school lunch; PM POSHAN is the current official name of the national scheme.
How does the mid-day meal run in practice?
- Grain and funds: food grains reach schools through the state's supply chain, and cooking costs flow from the Centre and the state.
- Cooking: cooks-cum-helpers prepare the meal in a school kitchen, or a central kitchen run by an NGO or agency delivers it.
- Oversight: the head teacher, school management committee and block officials check hygiene, quantity and quality, and many states collect a daily count of meals served through SMS, IVRS or an app.
- Records: stock registers, attendance and meal counts must agree, because they decide the next grain allocation and the cooking cost paid.
Worked example: checking one day's count
Illustrative numbers only. A primary school has 180 children enrolled. On Tuesday 152 are present and 148 eat the meal. Using an illustrative norm of 100 grams of grain per child per day (check the current norm in your state's orders), the day should use 148 × 100 g = 14.8 kg. If the stock register shows 22 kg issued that day, the gap of 7.2 kg needs an explanation: a wrong entry, waste, or a meal count that does not match reality. Inspectors look for exactly these mismatches between enrolment, attendance, meals and stock.
What is the mid-day meal often confused with?
- PM POSHAN vs POSHAN Abhiyaan: POSHAN Abhiyaan is the national nutrition mission under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. PM POSHAN is the school meal scheme under the Ministry of Education.
- Mid-day meal vs anganwadi nutrition: children below school age receive supplementary nutrition through anganwadi centres, a separate programme.
- Enrolment vs meals served: claims based on enrolment rather than children actually fed are the most common audit finding.
How are meals monitored better?
Paper registers reach the district weeks later. Our mid-day meal monitoring checklist sets out daily checks a school can run, and prioritising school inspection visits explains how meal data can decide which school an officer visits first. EduWatch, a school monitoring system for education departments, checks kitchen hygiene and weighing before cooking, checks portions and quality on camera at the mid-day meal, and gives each school a meal quality score.
Related terms
Read next
Where this shows up in our work. EduWatch: One record for eight roles from minister to parent: attendance, meals, learning and field visits. Book a 30-minute working session with an engineer.
Questions
What is the meaning of mid meal?
Mid meal is a short form of mid-day meal, the free hot cooked lunch given to children in government and government-aided schools in India. The national scheme is now called PM POSHAN.
Who is eligible for the mid-day meal?
Children studying in Classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools, and in Balvatika classes in primary schools, are covered under PM POSHAN. No separate application is usually needed; check your state's orders for local details.
What is the full form of PM POSHAN?
PM POSHAN stands for Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman. It is the current name of the national school meal scheme that was earlier known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.