CM Fadnavis Reviews PM POSHAN, Eyes Class 10 Nutrition Push
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired a PM POSHAN review in Mumbai on 5 October 2026, directing district-level decision-making, ordering a feasibility study on extending nutritional meals to Class 10, and emphasising millet-based meal options.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired a PM POSHAN review at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai on 5 October 2026 .
Decision-making authority under PM POSHAN is to be delegated to the district level , with flexibility for local conditions.
The School Education and Women and Child Development Departments have been asked to study extending nutritional meals from Class 8 to Class 10 .
District Collectors and Zilla Parishad CEOs will be consulted to identify local challenges before a joint policy goes to the Cabinet.
Fadnavis emphasised the inclusion of millet-based dishes while respecting local dietary habits and student preferences.
Ministers Dadaji Bhuse , Aditi Tatkare , and MoS Meghna Bordikar were present at the meeting.
A midday meal scheme that already feeds millions of Maharashtra's schoolchildren is about to get a district-level reboot — and possibly a three-class expansion. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a high-level review of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN) at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai, on Monday, 5 October 2026, issuing a set of directives that could reshape how nutritional meals are planned, sourced, and delivered across the state's government schools.
The most consequential instruction of the meeting: decision-making authority under PM POSHAN must move closer to the ground. Fadnavis directed that District Collectors and Zilla Parishad CEOs be consulted to map local challenges, with their feasible suggestions folded into a joint policy before it goes to the Cabinet for approval. The message was clear — a scheme designed to feed children must be sensitive to what children in each district actually eat.
Extending the meal programme beyond Class 8
The most ambitious proposal on the table is a potential extension of nutritional meals from Class 8 all the way to Class 10. Fadnavis instructed the School Education Department and the Women and Child Development Department to jointly assess the feasibility of this expansion and submit a formal proposal. If approved, it would bring older adolescent students — a group often overlooked in school-nutrition frameworks — within the ambit of a structured, government-backed meal programme. The two departments have also been told to jointly formulate a policy and issue guidelines that give district-level authorities the flexibility to respond to local conditions, rather than waiting on centralised directives.Millets on the menu, local taste on the agenda
Fadnavis specifically called for the inclusion of millet-based dishes in the meal options — a nod to India's ongoing push to mainstream millets as a nutrition and food-security crop. Crucially, he paired this with a rider: local dietary habits and student preferences must be taken into account. Nutrition policy that ignores what children will actually eat tends to produce waste, not nourishment. The review meeting was attended by Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Minister Aditi Tatkare, Minister of State Meghna Bordikar, and senior officials from the concerned departments. With a Cabinet proposal in the pipeline and district-level consultations to follow, Maharashtra's school nutrition overhaul is moving from the review room to the ground — and the clock is ticking for millions of students waiting on better meals.Point of View
Reducing bottlenecks that have historically delayed welfare delivery. The proposed Class 10 extension, if cleared by the Cabinet, would be a significant expansion of a scheme traditionally focused on primary and upper-primary students, potentially setting a precedent for other states. The millet emphasis also aligns Maharashtra with the Union government's post-International Year of Millets nutritional agenda, giving the state a policy alignment dividend. The real test will be whether the joint departmental policy translates into consistent meal quality on the ground — the gap between Cabinet approval and classroom delivery has historically been wide.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PM POSHAN and how does it work in Maharashtra?
PM POSHAN, or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana, is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides free nutritional meals to students in government and government-aided schools. In Maharashtra, it covers students up to Class 8, with the state government now examining an extension to Class 10.
Why did CM Fadnavis review PM POSHAN in October 2026?
CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired the review to address gaps in meal quality and timely delivery, directing that decision-making be delegated to district-level authorities and ordering a feasibility study on extending the scheme to Class 10 students.
What is the proposed change to PM POSHAN coverage in Maharashtra?
The Maharashtra government is examining the feasibility of extending nutritional meals under PM POSHAN from Class 8 to Class 10. The School Education and Women and Child Development Departments have been asked to study this and submit a proposal to the Cabinet.
Why are millets being included in Maharashtra school meals?
CM Fadnavis directed inclusion of millet-based dishes as millets are considered highly nutritious and align with India's national push to mainstream millets as a food-security crop, while also factoring in local dietary habits and student preferences.
Who will be consulted before the new PM POSHAN policy goes to Cabinet?
District Collectors and Zilla Parishad CEOs across Maharashtra will be consulted to identify local challenges, and their feasible suggestions will be incorporated into the joint departmental policy before it is submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
