Why in News?

• The Ministry of Education (MoE) has flagged a steep decline in enrolment in government and government-aided schools at the primary and upper-primary levels across 23 States and UTs in 2024–25.
• This has prompted the MoE to seek investigation and remedial action from the affected States.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• PM-POSHAN Scheme Overview
• Major Findings from the PM-POSHAN Review Meetings
• Reasons Behind the Decline
• Declining Coverage Under PM-POSHAN
• Other Reports Showing Similar Trends
• Way Ahead
• Conclusion

PM-POSHAN Scheme Overview:

• PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman): Formerly known as the Midday Meal Scheme.
• Target group: Children from pre-primary to Class 8 in government and government-aided schools.
• Objective: Address child nutrition, enhance school attendance, improve learning outcomes and attention spans.
• Funding pattern: Centre and States share cost in 60:40 ratio; Centre provides foodgrains.

Major Findings from the PM-POSHAN Review Meetings: States with largest enrolment decline

Reasons Behind the Decline:

• Data cleansing and methodological changes:
  • Shift from aggregate school-wise data to student-wise reporting (includes name, address, Aadhaar details) led to the removal of “ghost” entries, revealing more accurate figures.
• Shift to private schools: Post-COVID reversal of enrollment trends - students shifting from government to private schools, possibly due to parental preferences for better quality education.

Declining Coverage Under PM-POSHAN:

• States with major drops in meal coverage:
  • Uttar Pradesh: Dropped by 5.41 lakh
  • Rajasthan:3.27 lakh
  • West Bengal: 8.04 lakh
  • Delhi: 97,000
• Delhi’s underperformance:
  • Midday meal coverage in 2024–25 -
    • Balvatika (pre-primary): 60%
    • Primary: 69%
    • Upper primary: 62%
  • All below the national average.
• Concerns raised:
  • In some States, students bring their own tiffins.
  • MoE has instructed States to ensure meal quality and universal coverage.

Other Reports Showing Similar Trends:

• The UDISE+ report (2023-24) revealed an overall drop of 1.5 crore in school enrolment (both government and private) compared to 2018–19 to 2021–22 averages.
• The PM-POSHAN review meetings show that the downward trend continues into 2024–25.

Way Ahead:

• Robust digital infrastructure for real-time monitoring of school data, ensuring transparency and elimination of ghost beneficiaries.
• Integration of PM-POSHAN with broader health and education initiatives, such as POSHAN Abhiyaan and Samagra Shiksha, to create holistic child development ecosystems.
• Community-driven models involving local panchayats, SHGs, and school management committees to build trust in public education.
• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) to enhance infrastructure, nutritional standards, and pedagogical quality in government schools.
• Incentivising enrolment and retention, especially in socio-economically vulnerable areas, through targeted scholarships, nutritional add-ons, and quality education interventions.

Conclusion:

To address the worrying decline in government school enrolment and PM-POSHAN coverage, a multi-pronged and future-ready approach is essential. 

As India aspires to become a Viksit Bharat by 2047, investing in foundational education and child nutrition must remain a top priority. This will be a decisive step toward achieving the goals of SDG-4 (quality education) and ensuring an inclusive and equitable learning environment for future generations.