Provide breakfast too under PM-POSHAN: Panel, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Parliamentary Committee recommends including breakfast in PM-POSHAN scheme.
• Extension of PM-POSHAN to all students up to Class 10, then Class 12 in five years is suggested.
• Committee highlights need to integrate nutrition with education beyond Class 8.
• Concerns raised over resource concentration in select PM-SHRI schools.
• Release of Samagra Shiksha funds due to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal recommended.

Detailed Insights:

• The committee emphasizes that adolescence is a critical growth phase, and proper nutrition can prevent long-term health issues and reduce dropouts, especially among girls.
• Extending the scheme to Classes 10 and 12 is crucial as students prepare for board exams, demanding higher focus and cognitive performance.
• The committee suggests relaxing norms for PM-SHRI schools to include average government schools, reconsidering the inclusion of KVs and JNVs to avoid resource concentration.
• The PM-POSHAN scheme currently provides cooked meals to government and aided school students up to Class 8.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PM-POSHAN: A scheme providing cooked meals to students in government and aided schools to improve nutritional status.
• PM-SHRI Schools: Schools aimed at showcasing the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.
• Samagra Shiksha: An integrated scheme for school education extending from pre-school to senior secondary level.