Odisha increases mid-day meals allocation by Rs 2.92 per student
The School and Mass Education department notified on Thursday that the government has enhanced the material cost by an additional amount of Rs 2.92 per student for both primary and upper primary students, bringing the revised cost to Rs 11.15 for primary and Rs 14.74 for upper primary per student per day. Earlier this year, the state government introduced MDM for students of Class IX and X of government and government-aided schools and also decided to give all students, starting from Sishu Vatikas to Class X, three eggs and as many nutri-rich laddoos in MDM every week.
From April 1, students received eggs in their meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and nutri-rich laddoos on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in morning assembly.
The MDM is provided under the PM-POSHAN scheme which is implemented in a 60:40 cost sharing pattern between the Centre and state. At present, the Centre has fixed the material cost at Rs 6.78 for primary and Rs 10.17 for upper primary per day, since
May 1. The state government provides an additional material cost of Rs 1.45 for primary and Rs 1.65 for upper primary per student per day. This brings the total material cost of MDM to Rs 8.23 for primary and Rs 11.82 for upper primary.
The financial implication of MDM for Class IX and X students, additional egg and three laddoos, amounting to Rs 570.71 crore annually, will be borne from the state Budget under the Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India planted 178K hectares in 2019-2023; gaps in fund use: Report
India raised 1,78,261 hectares of compensatory afforestation against a target of 2,09,297 hectares between 2019-20 and 2023-24, achieving 85 per cent of the planned area, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee has said in a report. The report filed earlier this month revealed that utilisation of funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) varies sharply across states. According to the report, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh recorded full achievement of their targets. Madhya Pradesh planted 21,746.82 hectares, fully achieving its target of 21,107.68 hectares. Karnataka also met nearly its entire target, covering 2,761.26 hectares against 2,775.12 hectares. Arunachal Pradesh planted 20,719.46 hectares against 21,478.03 hectares, achieving 96.6 per cent. Uttar Pradesh reported 96.4 per cent achievement, planting 5,877.16 hectares against 6,096.7 hectares. Assam covered 1,149.64 hectares against 1,191.82 hectares, achieving 93.8 per cent. Sikkim planted 609.52 hectares, achieving 92.3 per cent, while Punjab achieved 4,019.72 hectares against 4,471.94 hectares, about 89.9 per cent. In contrast, Meghalaya had one of the lowest coverage, achieving only 114.56 hectares against a target of 514.76 hectares or 22.3 per cent. Manipur planted 666.94 hectares against 1,759.84 hectares, achieving 37.9 per cent. Kerala covered 171.80 hectares against 433.06 hectares, achieving 39.7 per cent. West Bengal achieved only 748.25 hectares against 1,911.74 hectares, about 39.2 per cent. Tamil Nadu planted 84.76 hectares against 262.39 hectares, achieving 32.3 per cent. Andhra Pradesh reported 3,471.88 hectares against 8,663.46 hectares, covering only 40.1 per cent. The report also reviewed the use of CAMPA funds during this period. National CAMPA approved Rs 38,516 crore for state annual plans between 2019-20 and 2023-24. States released Rs 29,311 crore to their forest departments, of which Rs 26,001 crore was utilised. This means only 67.5 per cent of the approved outlay was spent. Utilisation varied widely, with Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh utilising 100 per cent, 100 per cent and 97.8 per cent of the funds released to them, respectively. Mizoram reported utilisation above 91 per cent, Sikkim 97.7 per cent, Karnataka 96.6 per cent and Odisha 87.9 per cent. Chhattisgarh recorded 95 per cent utilisation of the funds released, and Gujarat spent more than it released, utilising 116 per cent due to carryover balances. Several states lagged behind. Tamil Nadu used only 67.9 per cent of the funds released, while Jammu and Kashmir spent 62.5 per cent. Haryana also underperformed, using 57.4 per cent. West Bengal spent 81.1 per cent and Delhi just 26.9 per cent, the lowest among all states. Telangana reported 60.4 per cent utilisation, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands spent 53.1 per cent of the released funds. The CEC said that "delays in submission of annual plans by states, late release of funds, and the lack of dedicated CAMPA offices affect seasonal forestry operations". Monitoring of survival rates remains weak, and multiple layers in the fund release process contribute to underutilisation, it said. Despite these shortcomings, it said progress under the statutory framework has been "significant" given initial difficulties, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With thousands of hectares of natural forests lost each year to development projects, the report warns that gaps in plantation survival and underutilisation of funds undermine the very purpose of the CAMPA mechanism. The compensatory afforestation regime originated from a series of orders in the landmark TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India case of 1995. In these orders, the Supreme Court mandated that when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes, user agencies must provide funds to compensate for the loss through afforestation on non-forest land or degraded forest land. To formalise and regulate the management of these funds, Parliament enacted the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016. The Act established the National and State CAMPA to manage the money collected from user agencies. The CAF Rules, 2018, provided the framework for how these funds should be used. The Act and Rules specify that the money transferred to states and union territories can only be used for afforestation, regeneration of degraded forests, wildlife protection and other activities aimed at ecological restoration.
New Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Midday meals in Telangana hit by fund crunch; eggs, veggies vanish from students' plates
HYDERABAD: On paper, students in government schools across the state have a nutritious meal menu. On their plates? Just rice and dal, day after day. Soaring food prices and Rs 2 crore owed to midday meal agencies have quietly pushed eggs, vegetables and sambar off the menu. Sources said the prescribed day-wise menu — rice with egg and sambar on Mondays and Thursdays, vegetable curry on Tuesdays and Fridays, dal with leafy greens and an egg on Wednesdays and Saturdays — exists only on charts. In reality, students are being served plain rice and dal daily, and eggs once a week. Pointing to the increasing prices, midday meal agencies said the government hasn't cleared their bills for over three months. 'Vegetables, eggs and pulses have all become expensive. We were told the per-child cost has been revised, but the funds haven't reached us,' said a member of Manna Trust, an NGO supplying meals in Hyderabad. In March, the Telangana Education Commission proposed a revised budget, hiking the cost per meal from Rs 8.69 to Rs 13.45 for students from classes 1–5, and from Rs 11.79 to Rs 18.60 and Rs 19.14 for classes 6–8 and 9 and 10, respectively. A total of Rs 151 crore was sanctioned. But none of that has trickled down to the field. 'We've stopped asking,' said Sharada, in-charge of the midday meal in Jagtial. 'For the last academic year, we managed with Rs 8.69 per child. We heard the cost was increased, but where's the money? Bills haven't been cleared for months.' Self-help group workers across districts echo the frustration. In Hyderabad, Jagtial and Sangareddy, school headmasters say they've received no official communication about the revised rates. 'We don't know why the funds haven't been released. Meanwhile, meal workers confront us daily about unpaid dues,' said one headmaster who declined to be named.
Scroll.in
32 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
BPSC Teacher recruitment 2025: Last date to apply for 7279 Special School Teacher posts today
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) will conclude the registrations today, July 28, for recruitment to the Special School Teacher posts 2025. Eligible candidates can apply for the posts on the official website A total of 7279 vacancies have been notified, of which 5,534 posts are designated for Primary Level (Classes 1 to 5) and 1,745 posts for Upper Primary Level (Classes 6 to 8). Applicants can check the eligibility criteria, age limit, pay scale, and other details available in the notification below: Here's the official notification. Application Fee The application fee is Rs 750 for general and other unreserved candidates, and Rs 200 for SC/ST, all category female candidates, and differently-abled candidates (40% or more disability). An additional biometric fee of Rs 200 applies, for candidates who have not provided an Aadhaar number as identity proof. Steps to apply for Special School Teacher post 2025
