Mid-day meal is given to school children studying up to which class?

Appeared in: Haryana CHO -2023

Explanation

The Mid-day Meal Scheme, now renamed PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman), is a flagship government program in India.
Initially, the scheme covered children in the primary stage (Classes I-V).
In 2007, the scheme was extended to include the upper primary stage, which covers children in Classes VI to VIII.
Therefore, the scheme provides meals to school children studying up to the 8th class.

Option A: This is incorrect because the scheme is not limited to the 3rd class. It covers the entire primary and upper primary stages.
Option B: This is incorrect. While the scheme does cover the 5th class (the end of the primary stage), it was extended to the upper primary stage (up to 8th class) in 2007.
Option D: This is incorrect. The Mid-day Meal Scheme's coverage currently ends at the upper primary level (Class 8) and does not extend to secondary school classes like the 10th class.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Mid-Day Meal Scheme (PM POSHAN) Coverage as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses involved in School Health Programs are key personnel for monitoring the implementation of the PM POSHAN scheme, including checking kitchen hygiene and food safety standards to prevent foodborne illnesses.
A community health nurse assesses the nutritional status of children in schools by checking for signs of malnutrition and anemia, thereby evaluating the program's effectiveness at a local level.
What if? If a nurse observes that many children in a school are still underweight despite the meal program, they should investigate the quality and quantity of the food being served, check for any leakages in the supply chain, and report their findings to the concerned authorities for corrective action.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core question, which asks for the highest class level covered by the Mid-day Meal scheme.
Access your knowledge base on major national health and nutrition programs in India. The Mid-day Meal scheme is a prominent one.
Recall the evolution of the scheme. It started with primary classes and was later expanded.
The scheme has two main beneficiary groups: Primary (Classes I-V) and Upper Primary (Classes VI-VIII).
Evaluate the options based on this information. Options '3rd' and '5th' are part of the coverage but do not represent the upper limit.
The option '10th' falls under secondary education, which is not covered by this scheme.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 198-200

E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & Dietetics 2nd Edition Harbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) p. 26-479

Practise the full Haryana CHO -2023

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.