Over 84,000 Govt Schools Fell Out of Mid-Day Meal Scheme's Coverage in Last Five Years: Govt

At present, the centrally sponsored programme provides one hot cooked meal to children in Bal Vatika (pre-Class 1) and Classes 1 to 8 of government and government-aided schools across the country.

The Wire Staff

At present, the centrally sponsored programme provides one hot cooked meal to children in Bal Vatika (pre-Class 1) and Classes 1 to 8 of government and government-aided schools across the country.

over 84 000 govt schools fell out of mid day meal scheme s coverage in last five years govt

A woman distributes mid-day meals among students on the eve of National Education Day, at Lower Primary School, Rupnagar, in Guwahati, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Schools covered under the PM Poshan scheme (formerly Mid-Day Meal) scheme has decreased from being 11.19 lakh schools in 2020-21 to 10.35 lakh schools in 2024-25, in the last five years.

According to data furnished by the Union Education Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (December 17), this reduction of 84,453 schools indicates a 7.5% decline over the last five years, reported Hindustan Times.

At present, the centrally sponsored programme provides one hot cooked meal to children in Bal Vatika (pre-Class 1) and Classes 1 to 8 of government and government-aided schools across the country.

As per the data furnished in the Parliament by minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary, in response to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh question, the biggest decrease was noted between 2020-21 and 2021-22, when during a single year, 35,574 schools got out of the scheme’s coverage.

Among states, Uttar Pradesh saw the steepest fall, with the number of beneficiary schools going down from 1.67 lakh in 2020-21 to 1.41 lakh in 2024-25, amounting to a loss of 25,361 institutions.

Madhya Pradesh and Assam to saw significant decreases of 24,704 and 9,321 schools, respectively.

While Chaudhary did not specify the reasons for the decline, he added that “the overall responsibility for providing hot cooked and nutritious meals to the eligible children lies with the state governments and UT administrations.”

This article went live on December eighteenth, two thousand twenty five, at fourteen minutes past twelve at noon.

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