Latest news with #PMPOSHAN
New Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Anganwadi workers, activists question facial recognition tech implementation in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers' Union and Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samity (BGVS) organised a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss the introduction of facial recognition software in anganwadis and public schools. The meeting came in the light of the implementation of mandatory facial recognition for take-home rations in the country's anganwadis through the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, and the recent introduction of the same software by the state government to measure teacher attendance in Karnataka's public schools. Several anganwadi workers, academics and activists stood united in the open meeting at Gandhi Bhavan here to question the intent behind the introduction of the facial recognition software by the Centre, and the state government's eager compliance to it. Economist Dipa Sinha, an active proponent at the Right to Food campaign, mentioned how this implementation comes as a distraction to existing problems, which include a stagnant budget allocation for anganwadi food since 2017, despite the market inflation. 'The food is sub-par; facial recognition does nothing.' She went on to mention that if any genuine intent existed towards social welfare, funds would go towards improving the quality of the food. '(Almost) 14 lakh anganwadis exist in India right now, because people fought on the streets and in the courts. It is upon us to protect what we fought for,' she said. Drawing attention to the lack of research backing the software's need, the lack of transparency towards the public, and the unilateral decision-making process without any consultation, BGVS vice-president Subhankar Chkaraborty said, 'This is not a policy towards social welfare. It is an instrument to ensure lesser budgets for social welfare.'
Hans India
22-07-2025
- General
- Hans India
PM POSHAN Scheme covers about 11 cr kids in over 10.35 lakh schools: Centre
New Delhi:The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme, earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme, covers about 11 crore children in more than 10.35 lakh schools across India, said Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament on Monday. PM POSHAN scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in partnership with the States and UTs for providing one hot cooked and nutritious meal to all children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class I) and classes I to VIII of government and government-aided schools. It aims to provide nutritional support and enhance the school participation of students. 'The scheme serves 29,22,160 students studying in Balvatika; 6,58,16,610 students in classes I to V; and 4,12,07,772 students in classes VI-VIII,' said Pradhan, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. 'The Budget Estimates of the Scheme are about Rs 12,500 crore, and 100 per cent foodgrains to the tune of 26 lakh MTs at an approximate cost of Rs 9,000 crore have been supplied by the Government of India through Food Corporation of India (FCI),' he added. In addition, the Centre in April announced enhancing the 'Material Cost' of the PM POSHAN Scheme by 9.50 per cent. Under the new rates, applicable across all the states/UTs from May 1, the Central government bears the additional cost of approximately Rs 954 crore in FY26. Further, Pradhan also informed that more than 24 lakh Cook-cum-Helpers (CCHs) are engaged under the Scheme. Of these, over 90 per cent are women. 'Under the Scheme, 9.11 lakh (97 per cent) Kitchen-cum-Stores (KCS) have been constructed against the sanctioned 9.41 lakh KCS all over India,' the Union Minister said. The Scheme also grants a provision of 5 per cent of the total recurring budget as the flexi component to be used by the States/UTs as per their requirement. It may be used for setting up School Nutrition Gardens and provision of Supplementary Nutrition interventions viz., chikki, eggs, milk, fruits, and additional food items, etc., in identified districts.
Hans India
21-07-2025
- General
- Hans India
PM POSHAN Scheme covers about 11 cr children in over 10.35 lakh schools: Centre
New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme, earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme, covers about 11 crore children in more than 10.35 lakh schools across India, said Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament on Monday. PM POSHAN scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in partnership with the States and UTs for providing one hot cooked and nutritious meal to all children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class I) and classes I to VIII of government and government-aided schools. It aims to provide nutritional support and enhance the school participation of students. 'The scheme serves 29,22,160 students studying in Balvatika; 6,58,16,610 students in classes I to V; and 4,12,07,772 students in classes VI-VIII,' said Pradhan, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. 'The Budget Estimates of the Scheme are about Rs 12,500 crore, and 100 per cent foodgrains to the tune of 26 lakh MTs at an approximate cost of Rs 9,000 crore have been supplied by the Government of India through Food Corporation of India (FCI),' he added. In addition, the Centre in April announced enhancing the 'Material Cost' of the PM POSHAN Scheme by 9.50 per cent. Under the new rates, applicable across all the states/UTs from May 1, the Central government bears the additional cost of approximately Rs 954 crore in FY26. Further, Pradhan also informed that more than 24 lakh Cook-cum-Helpers (CCHs) are engaged under the Scheme. Of these, over 90 per cent are women. "Under the Scheme, 9.11 lakh (97 per cent) Kitchen-cum-Stores (KCS) have been constructed against the sanctioned 9.41 lakh KCS all over India," the Union Minister said. The Scheme also grants a provision of 5 per cent of the total recurring budget as the flexi component to be used by the States/UTs as per their requirement. It may be used for setting up School Nutrition Gardens and provision of Supplementary Nutrition interventions viz., chikki, eggs, milk, fruits, and additional food items, etc., in identified districts. Pradhan noted that more than 6.28 lakh schools have set up School Nutrition Gardens.
Mint
15-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Centre asks states to reduce sugar, salt in school meals to counter obesity
New Delhi: Concerned over rising cases of child obesity in India, the Centre has asked states and Union territories to reduce added sugar, salt, preservatives, colors, and other synthetic ingredients in meals provided in government schools, and Anganwadi centres, an official aware of the matter said. An Anganwadi is a rural child-care centre, started by the government in 1975 and tasked with providing basic healthcare services in villages and combatting child hunger and malnutrition. The directive from the Women and Child Development ministry is aimed at tackling India's growing obesity, particularly among young children. The directive from the Union women and child development ministry assumes significance given that 118 million children get free lunches under the Mid-day Meal Scheme, or PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman), while Anganwadi centres cater to around 106.9 million beneficiaries including young children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. The government's instructions to lower the use of salt, sugar, and synthetic colours in food come in the backdrop of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) stating that one in five Indian urban adults is overweight or obese. High consumption of sugar and salt can potentially lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney problems. According to the 11 July letter issued by the women and child development ministry to all the states and Union territories, the Poshan Tracker portal data for May highlights that 6% of children under five years in Anganwadi centres are already overweight or obese. The letter emphasized promoting healthy lifestyles and dietary practices, with a specific focus on the Take Home Rations (THR) and Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) provided in Anganwadis. Mint has seen a copy of the letter. Children aged 0-6 years in 2021 numbered an estimated 161 million, and as per the October 2024 data of Poshan Tracker portal, 88.2 million children were enrolled in Anganwadis, the ministry of women and child development told parliament in December last year. The directive is part of India's fight against obesity that includes the Centre' plan to roll out a nationwide screening programme for measuring obesity among school children, which will capture waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and their Body Mass Index (BMI), as reported by Mint earlier. 'The government is very serious about obesity. Schools have put the oil and sugar board to sensitise children on what kind of food or snack they are consuming. Similarly, it has decided that meals provided under the POSHAN scheme to the beneficiaries in the government schools and Anganwadi centres must limit oil and sugar. This is also applicable for child care homes,' said the official cited eralier, requesting anonymity. The new advisory recommends that states and UTs conduct targeted awareness programs for officers, field functionaries, Anganwadi workers, and the broader community. A key focus of these programs should be to reduce the consumption of edible oils in daily diets, aligning with the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the National Institute of Nutrition. The WCD ministry also suggested the state governments initiating awareness campaigns at all levels to reinforce the objectives of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD). Queries sent to the women and child development ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former director general at Indian Council of Medical Research and ex-chief scientist at the World Health Organisation, said that the main driver of both obesity and under-nutrition is the lack of affordable access to a healthy and nutritious diet, along with lack of awareness about nutritional requirements at different ages. 'Nutrition literacy is very low, with the majority of the population having misconceptions about what is healthy and what is not. We have also lost a great deal of our agro biodiversity over the past few decades and ultra-processed food is replacing freshly cooked balanced meals. Looking ahead, with climate change being an additional risk to food systems, we need to look at the entire value chain - from greater production of healthier cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables to ensuring greater dietary diversity in our social safety net programs such asPublic Distribution System (PDS), school meals, PM Poshan Abhiyan,' she said. Dr. Swaminathan also pointed out that budget allocations to these schemes will need to increase to enable better dietary diversity. Dr. Mohsin Wali, a senior consultant in medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, points out a troubling trend: a significant portion of the population—between 20% and 30%—don't even perceive being overweight or obese as a problem. They simply see it as normal, he said. Covid-19 pandemic has worsened this issue, increasing obesity by at least 7%. 'The shift to work from home, coupled with increased consumption of foods high in oil and sugar, has played a major role. Controlling obesity is impossible without regular exercise, yoga, and workouts," he added. He also highlights the rise of "cloud kitchens," which are popular with children but often offer food high in trans fats. Adding to the concern, schools have cut back on outdoor activities, and children are increasingly glued to screens, leading to a decline in physical activity. 'Rise in stress levels among both children and adults also contribute to a dangerous cycle, as obesity is directly linked to serious health problems like diabetes, increased cardiovascular risk, sudden cardiac deaths, and fatty liver disease,' he said while referring to this cluster of conditions as "metabolic syndrome." Dr. Wali warns that if this trend isn't brought under control, the current generation of children will face a future of widespread obesity and its associated health crises as adults.
New Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
BW LPG India joins hands with Akshaya Patra to power school kitchens with clean energy
PUDUCHERRY: BW LPG India, the country's largest operator of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC), has signed an MoU with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to support sustainable energy initiatives in school kitchens across India. At the event in Puducherry, BW LPG India facilitated the installation of three 500-litre LPG-powered industrial curry-making machines at Akshaya Patra's centralised kitchen, which serves over 40,000 midday meals daily to students in government schools under the PM POSHAN scheme. As part of its CSR commitment for FY 2025–26, BW LPG India has pledged over Rs 5.55 crore towards energy support, including boiler conversions in kitchens at Puri, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh, and continued funding for energy bills in 16 kitchens nationwide. Balaji Munjurpet, CFO, Akshaya Patra, said the partnership would improve kitchen efficiency and reduce emissions. Capt Gaurav Bhatia, Director, BW LPG India, reaffirmed the company's long-term commitment, pledging Rs 4.8 crore for FY 2026–27 and Rs 1.04 crore annually until FY 2029–30. The collaboration highlights the role of corporate responsibility in driving social impact, ensuring nutritious meals for children and promoting sustainable kitchen operations.
