Class-IX, X students in Odisha to be served mid-day meals from 2025-26 academic year

Bhubaneswar(27/03/2025): The Odisha government will serve mid-day meals to the students of Class-IX and X in the state from 2025-26 academic year. The School and Mass Education (S&ME) department has sent a letter in this regard to the State Nodal Officer of PM POSHAN recently. As per the official communication, the students of Class IX and X in government and government aided secondary schools across Odisha will be served the MDM from 2025-26 academic year. The state government will spend Rs 570.71 crore annually for this purpose under the Mukhyamantri POSHAN Yojana. “The state government has approved a proposal for provision of hot cooked midday meals to the students of Class-IX and X in government and government-aided secondary schools from the financial year 2025-26 to increase nutritional level of the students and enhancing the enrollment, attendance and retention of students in schools,” stated the letter. Earlier, the government was providing MDM to students from Class-I to VIII in government and government-aided schools in Odisha. A couple of months ago, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced that the students of Class-IX and X would be included under the MDM programme.