Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday approved a further increase in the cost of midday meals provided to students under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, with revised rates taking effect from May 1.
As per the latest government resolution (GR) issued by the School Education and Sports Department, the daily per-student expenditure has been increased to Rs6.78 for primary classes (Standards 1 to 5) and Rs10.17 for upper primary classes (Standards 6 to 8).
This decision follows a directive issued by the Central Government on April 21, which approved a hike in the per-child meal cost across the country. The state government noted that “as per the directive dated 21 April 2025, the revised expenditure per beneficiary under the scheme has been approved for implementation from 1 May 2025.”
The latest revision comes just months after an earlier rate increase notified in March this year, when the state had raised the cost to Rs6.19 for primary and Rs9.29 for upper primary students. Prior to March, the expenditure was Rs5.45 and Rs8.17 respectively.
Under the PM POSHAN scheme, students in primary classes are entitled to meals providing 450 calories and 12 grams of protein daily, while upper primary students receive meals delivering 700 calories and 20 grams of protein. To meet this nutritional requirement, the Centre supplies 100 grams of rice per child per day for primary classes and 150 grams for upper primary classes.
The latest resolution also details a revised cost structure for schools in rural areas, where ingredients are procured locally. For primary students, the Rs6.78 allocation will now be split into Rs4.19 for food grains and other staples, and Rs2.59 towards fuel and vegetables. For upper primary students, Rs6.29 will be spent on staples and Rs3.88 on fuel and vegetables.
In urban areas, where food is delivered via centralised kitchen models, the same revised per-student expenditure of Rs6.78 and Rs10.17 will apply.
The state clarified that this cost increase has been implemented with the concurrence of the Planning Department and the Finance Department.
