Bhubaneswar: In a significant welfare boost to education, the Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved the expansion of its flagship nutrition programme of providing free Mid-Day Meals (MDM) to secondary school students across government and government-aided schools.
With the Cabinet approval, students of Class IX and X will also get MDM facility under the Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana (MMPY). It directly addresses the growing nutritional needs of adolescents — a critical stage for growth, concentration, and academic success — while aiming to improve attendance, retention, and overall learning outcomes.
Accord
ing to the official data, the five-year programme (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030) carries an estimated total outlay of Rs 4,224.46 crore. It is designed to benefit approximately 57.41 lakh students.
In the very first financial year (2025-26), the government spent Rs 665.36 crore under the scheme. Nutritious mid-day meals reached 11,23,536 students studying in 8,962 educational institutions. The Cabinet has granted ex-post-facto approval for this expenditure.
Approval has also been accorded for providing mid-day meals to 46.6 lakh secondary school students over the next four years at an estimated cost of Rs 3,506.99 crore.
This expansion fills a crucial gap. While mid-day meals were earlier available up to Class 8 under the national PM POSHAN scheme, secondary students (Classes 9 and 10) — many from economically weaker sections — now have assured access to daily hot cooked meals. Proper nutrition at this stage helps reduce dropouts, supports better focus in classrooms, and lays the foundation for a healthier, more productive generation.
Officials describe MMPY as a “flagship welfare initiative” that goes beyond just feeding children — it invests in human capital by ensuring no student’s education suffers due to hunger.