Published Paper Details:

The main vision of the Pradhan Mantri POshan SHAkti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme is to increase the school enrolment of children, provide nourishment and eradicate classroom hunger and malnutrition. Several Methods have been used to ensure the effective implementation of the scheme, but none of them covered all the aspects of the scheme. The primary objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive, quantitative, efficient, and user-friendly scoring scale that encompasses all aspects of the PM POSHAN scheme. The effectiveness of this scale will be assessed in various schools, aiming to improve the monitoring process and enhance the implementation of the scheme. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to develop the scale. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the schools and associated kitchens to test the scale. The results revealed that PM POSHAN scale evaluation in schools showed compliance with government guidelines in purchasing, storage, and cleaning of cooking areas. However, improvements were needed in food preparation, cooking, personal hygiene, school authority involvement, beneficiary satisfaction, and infrastructure. Quality assurance results were concerning, revealing non-compliance with guidelines and unacceptable outcomes. To conclude, this is the first-ever tool developed to date, covering all the categories included in the guidelines. This will thus help in the effective monitoring of the scheme. Moreover, its availability in digital format and local language (Marathi) adds to its accessibility.