PM POSHAN: Centre to bear additional cost of ₹425.62 cr. due to food inflation + SSC_CHSL?.ToString()?? SSC_CHSL?.ToString()+" Current Affairs";

Why in the news?
The Centre has announced that it will bear the additional cost of ₹425.62 crore on account of inflation in food material cost under the Centrally sponsored PM POSHAN Scheme in the financial year 2024-25. 
Key Takeaways:
📍Under the scheme, one hot cooked meal is served to 11.7 crore students studying in Balvatika and Classes 1to 8 in 10.24 lakh government and government-aided schools.
📍On the basis of the inflation index provided by the Labour Bureau, the Education Ministry has enhanced the material cost of pulses, vegetables and oil by 13.7%.
📍“The material cost is enhanced from ₹5.45 to ₹6.19 for primary and Balvatika classes and from ₹8.17 to ₹9.29 for upper primary classes with effect from December 1.”
📍The material cost could not be revised during 2023-24; therefore, the inflation value of items under PM POSHAN basket for both 2022-23 (6.45%) and 2023-24 (6.74%) has been considered for enhancement of cost.
📍Each Balvatika and primary school student is eligible for 20 grams of pulses, 50 grams of vegetables and five grams of oil.
Similarly, each upper primary student is eligible for 30 grams of pulses, 50 grams of vegetables and seven grams of oil.
About Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme:
📍It was earlier known as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in schools.
📍In September 2021, Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed as Pradhan Mantri POSHAN Scheme.
📍It is a centrally sponsored scheme under which one hot cooked meal is served to students studying in Balvatika and classes I to VIII, in Government and Government-aided schools on all school-days.
📍The scheme aims at providing nutritional support and enhancing school participation of students.
📍The objectives of the Scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for the majority of children in India, viz. hunger and education by:
📍Improving the nutritional status of eligible children in Government and Government aided schools.
📍Encouraging poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
📍Providing nutritional support to children of the elementary stage in drought-affected and disaster affected areas during summer vacation.
📍Recently, on the basis of the inflation index provided by the Labour Bureau, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has enhanced the ‘Material Cost’ by 13.70 %.
📍Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education