In which year, "Mid-day Meal Scheme" was renamed as "P.M. Poshan Scheme"?
- (a)2019
- (b)2020
- (c)2018
- (d)2021
Correct — D, 2021. On 29 September 2021 the Union Cabinet renamed the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools as 'PM POSHAN' (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman). It was approved as a centrally sponsored scheme for 2021-22 to 2025-26 and its coverage was extended to pre-primary (Balvatika) children in government and government-aided schools.
- (a)2019 — No renaming happened in 2019 — the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed PM POSHAN in 2021.
- (b)2020 — Not 2020 — the Cabinet approved the PM POSHAN rebranding in September 2021.
- (c)2018 — 2018 is the launch year of POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission), a DIFFERENT scheme for maternal and child malnutrition — a deliberate 'POSHAN' trap; the Mid-Day Meal renaming was 2021.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme — a school-lunch programme to boost enrolment, attendance and nutrition — began nationally in 1995 (as NP-NSPE) and became universal cooked meals after a 2001 Supreme Court order. In September 2021 it was rebranded 'PM POSHAN' (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman), implemented by the Ministry of Education (Department of School Education & Literacy).
Two 'POSHAN' schemes are easy to confuse: PM POSHAN (2021, school mid-day meals, Ministry of Education) and POSHAN Abhiyaan / National Nutrition Mission (2018, malnutrition among children, pregnant and lactating women, Ministry of Women & Child Development). The '2018' option baits students who muddle the two — the renaming of Mid-Day Meal is 2021.
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme renamed PM POSHAN on 29 September 2021.
- Full name: Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN); scheme period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Implemented by the Ministry of Education (Department of School Education & Literacy).
- PM POSHAN extended coverage to pre-primary (Balvatika) children; POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018) is a separate WCD scheme.
- Confusing PM POSHAN (2021, school meals) with POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018, maternal-child nutrition).
- Mixing the renaming year (2021) with the scheme's original 1995 start year.
UPPSC/UPSC ask the exact year a scheme was launched or renamed, and pair rival 'POSHAN' schemes — attach each scheme to its year and ministry.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
PM POSHAN (formerly the Mid-Day Meal Scheme) is implemented by which ministry?
- (a)Ministry of Education
- (b)Ministry of Women and Child Development
- (c)Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- (d)Ministry of Rural Development
Answer(a) Ministry of Education (Department of School Education & Literacy).
- practice — not a real PYQ
POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission), launched in 2018, primarily targets:
- (a)Cooked mid-day meals in schools
- (b)Malnutrition among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers
- (c)Free foodgrains under the PDS
- (d)University-level scholarships
Answer(b) Malnutrition among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers — a scheme distinct from PM POSHAN.