PM POSHAN Calculator – Mid Day Meal (MDM)

PM POSHAN Calculator – Mid Day Meal (MDM) Quantity & Cooking Cost

The PM POSHAN Calculator helps school teachers, headmasters, MDM in-charges, cooks-cum-helpers and CRCs work out the daily requirement of the Mid Day Meal in seconds. Enter the number of students who ate the meal in Bal Vatika, Classes 1–5 and Classes 6–8, and the calculator instantly shows how much rice or wheat, dal (pulses), vegetables and oil is needed, the total cooking cost (material cost) for the day, a monthly estimate and a ready-to-copy summary for your MDM register, daily report or WhatsApp group.

The calculator uses the official PM POSHAN food norms of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and automatically applies the correct cooking cost rate for the date you select – ₹6.78 per child for Bal Vatika and primary and ₹10.17 per child for upper primary from 1 May 2025, with the older rates for earlier dates. Because many states add their own share or use different quantities, every norm and rate can be edited.

How to Use the PM POSHAN MDM Calculator

1. Select the date of the meal. The cooking cost rate valid on that date is applied automatically, which helps when you fill backdated records.
2. Enter the number of students who actually ate the meal in Bal Vatika, Classes 1–5 and Classes 6–8 – not the enrolment and not the attendance, but the number of children served.
3. Choose rice or wheat according to the food grain used in your school that day.
4. Check the working days of the month if you want a monthly estimate of grain and funds.
5. Optional: open "Edit norms & rates" to enter your state's quantities or cooking cost including the state top-up.
6. Tap "Calculate MDM" to see the ingredient table in kg, class-wise and total cooking cost, monthly estimate and a daily summary you can copy.

What Is PM POSHAN?

PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) is the new name of the National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools, the world's largest school feeding programme. The Union Cabinet approved it in September 2021 for five years (2021-22 to 2025-26). Under the scheme, one hot cooked meal is served on every school day to children studying in Bal Vatika (pre-primary) and Classes 1 to 8 in government and government-aided schools. It covers over 11 crore children in more than 10 lakh schools across India.

The scheme has two main goals: improving the nutritional status of school children and encouraging poor and disadvantaged children to attend school regularly and concentrate on classroom learning. It is a centrally sponsored scheme; food grains are supplied by the Centre through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), while the cooking cost is shared between the Centre and the States.

PM POSHAN Food Norms per Child per Day

The quantities below are the national food norms under PM POSHAN. They are designed to give at least 450 kcal and 12 g of protein to a primary child and 700 kcal and 20 g of protein to an upper primary child from one meal.

Item (per child per day)	Bal Vatika & Primary (Class 1–5)	Upper Primary (Class 6–8)
Food grains (rice / wheat)	100 g	150 g
Pulses (dal)	20 g	30 g
Vegetables (incl. leafy)	50 g	75 g
Oil & fat	5 g	7.5 g
Salt & condiments	As per need	As per need
Energy / Protein (minimum)	450 kcal / 12 g	700 kcal / 20 g

Food grains are given free to schools by the Government of India. Pulses, vegetables, oil, salt, condiments and fuel are bought by the school from the cooking cost (material cost) that is released to the school's account.

How the Norms Give 450 and 700 Calories

The food norms are not random numbers – they are worked out so that one meal provides roughly one third of a child's daily energy and protein needs. Using approximate values from the Indian Food Composition Tables (raw rice about 345 kcal and 6.8 g protein per 100 g; toor dal about 335 kcal and 22 g protein per 100 g; oil 9 kcal per gram), the arithmetic looks like this:

Item	Primary: energy / protein	Upper primary: energy / protein
Rice (100 g / 150 g)	345 kcal / 6.8 g	518 kcal / 10.2 g
Dal (20 g / 30 g)	67 kcal / 4.4 g	101 kcal / 6.6 g
Oil (5 g / 7.5 g)	45 kcal / 0 g	68 kcal / 0 g
Vegetables (50 g / 75 g)	about 20 kcal / 1 g	about 30 kcal / 1.5 g
Total (approx.)	477 kcal / 12.2 g	717 kcal / 18.3 g

The primary meal comfortably meets the 450 kcal and 12 g protein target. For upper primary, rice-based meals come close to the 20 g protein target, which is why many states add extra pulses, sprouts, eggs, milk or use wheat (which has more protein than rice) on some days. Cooking losses, the exact variety of dal and portion control in the kitchen all affect the real value, so these figures are a guide, not a laboratory measurement.

PM POSHAN Cooking Cost Rates (Material Cost)

The Ministry of Education revises the cooking cost every year or two based on the inflation of the items in the PM POSHAN basket, measured by the Labour Bureau. Recent rates per child per day are:

Effective from	Bal Vatika & Primary	Upper Primary	Increase
1 October 2022	₹5.45	₹8.17	9.6%
1 December 2024	₹6.19	₹9.29	13.7%
1 May 2025 (current)	₹6.78	₹10.17	9.5%

These are the minimum mandatory rates. The cost is shared between the Centre and the States/UTs in a 60:40 ratio for most states, 90:10 for the North-Eastern and Himalayan states and 100% by the Centre for Union Territories without a legislature. Many states and UTs contribute more than their minimum share, so the actual rate paid in your state may be higher – enter it in the "Edit norms & rates" section to get exact figures.

MDM Calculation Formula

The calculator uses simple, transparent arithmetic that you can verify by hand:

• Grain required (kg) = (Primary students × 100 g + Upper primary students × 150 g) ÷ 1000
• Pulses (kg) = (Primary × 20 g + Upper primary × 30 g) ÷ 1000
• Vegetables (kg) = (Primary × 50 g + Upper primary × 75 g) ÷ 1000
• Oil (kg) = (Primary × 5 g + Upper primary × 7.5 g) ÷ 1000
• Cooking cost (₹) = Primary students × ₹6.78 + Upper primary students × ₹10.17
• Monthly requirement = daily figure × number of working days

Here "Primary students" means Bal Vatika plus Classes 1–5, because Bal Vatika children get the same norms as primary children.

Worked Example

Suppose a school served the meal to 10 Bal Vatika children, 120 children in Classes 1–5 and 80 children in Classes 6–8 on a day in 2026. Primary group = 130 children, upper primary = 80 children.

Item	Primary (130)	Upper Primary (80)	Total
Rice	13.000 kg	12.000 kg	25.000 kg
Dal	2.600 kg	2.400 kg	5.000 kg
Vegetables	6.500 kg	6.000 kg	12.500 kg
Oil	0.650 kg	0.600 kg	1.250 kg
Cooking cost	₹881.40	₹813.60	₹1,695.00

With 22 working days in the month, the school would need about 550 kg of rice and ₹37,290 of cooking cost for the month. Enter the same numbers in the calculator above to check.

Monthly MDM Requirement for Common School Sizes

The table below shows the monthly requirement for 22 working days at the national norms and the current cooking cost. Use it to plan grain indents and to check whether the funds received are enough. For exact numbers with your own attendance and state rates, use the calculator above.

Children	Primary rice	Primary dal	Primary oil	Primary cooking cost	Upper primary rice	Upper primary cooking cost
25	55 kg	11 kg	2.8 kg	₹3,729.00	82.5 kg	₹5,593.50
50	110 kg	22 kg	5.5 kg	₹7,458.00	165 kg	₹11,187.00
100	220 kg	44 kg	11 kg	₹14,916.00	330 kg	₹22,374.00
200	440 kg	88 kg	22 kg	₹29,832.00	660 kg	₹44,748.00
300	660 kg	132 kg	33 kg	₹44,748.00	990 kg	₹67,122.00
500	1,100 kg	220 kg	55 kg	₹74,580.00	1,650 kg	₹111,870.00

For upper primary, dal is 30 g, vegetables 75 g and oil 7.5 g per child, so multiply the primary dal, vegetable and oil figures by 1.5.

Food Grain vs Cooking Cost – Who Pays for What?

Many new MDM in-charges are confused about which items come as grain and which have to be bought. The rule is simple:

• Food grains (rice or wheat) are supplied free by the Government of India through FCI and the state food department. The school only records the quantity received and used; no money is spent from the cooking cost.
• Cooking cost covers pulses, vegetables, cooking oil, salt, condiments and fuel (LPG). It is shared by the Centre and State and credited to the school's account, usually in advance.
• Honorarium of cook-cum-helpers, kitchen devices, kitchen-cum-store construction and transport of grain are separate components and are not part of the per-child cooking cost.

That is why this calculator shows grain in kilograms but the cooking cost in rupees: grain is a stock item, while the cooking cost is money spent.

How to Maintain the MDM Stock and Cash Registers

1. Opening balance: write the grain and cash balance at the start of the day.
2. Receipt: add grain received from the supplier or godown and cooking cost funds credited.
3. Daily consumption: record the number of children who ate and the grain used, which should match the calculator's figure (for example, 25.000 kg for 130 primary and 80 upper primary children).
4. Expenditure: note the amount spent on dal, vegetables, oil, spices and fuel with bills, not more than the cooking cost allowed for the day's count.
5. Closing balance: opening + receipt − consumption. Verify the physical stock every week and sign the register along with an SMC member.

Keeping these registers updated every day makes the monthly utilisation certificate, the PM POSHAN portal entries and social audits much easier.

Sample Weekly Menu Pattern

Each state notifies its own menu, and many now follow a three-course "structured" menu with a main dish, a pulse dish and a sweet or sprouts on some days. A typical week built on the national norms looks like this:

Day	Main dish	Pulses / protein
Monday	Vegetable pulao	Moong dal
Tuesday	Rice with vegetable curry	Chana (chickpea) usal
Wednesday	Khichdi with seasonal vegetables	Masoor dal in khichdi
Thursday	Rice or roti	Mixed dal with leafy vegetables
Friday	Vegetable rice	Matki / sprouts usal
Saturday	Rice	Toor dal with vegetables

Changing the dish does not change the quantity per child – the calculator's norms stay the same. Always use your state's official menu for records.

Regional Names of the Mid Day Meal

The Mid Day Meal is called by different names across India, and teachers often search for the calculator using these terms. In Maharashtra it is known as Shaley Poshan Ahar (school nutrition diet), in Hindi-speaking states as Madhyahn Bhojan, and in many districts simply as MDM. In Karnataka it is known as Akshara Dasoha, and in Tamil Nadu it is the Noon Meal Scheme. Whatever the local name, the national PM POSHAN norms used in this calculator are the same, and you can change the quantities if your state has its own higher norms.

Who Should Use This MDM Calculator?

• Headmasters and MDM in-charge teachers – for the daily stock register, cash book and monthly utilisation report.
• Cooks-cum-helpers – to know exactly how much rice, dal and oil to take out of stock before cooking.
• CRCs, BRCs and block MDM officers – to verify the claims and consumption reported by schools.
• School Management Committee (SMC) members – for social audit and checking that children get their full entitlement.
• B.Ed and D.El.Ed students – to understand scheme norms for exams and internships.

Daily MDM Records and Reporting

Every school has to keep a daily record of the number of children who ate the meal, the stock of food grains received, used and left, and the expenditure on cooking cost. Most states also collect a daily count through an SMS, IVRS call or mobile app (Automated Monitoring System), and a monthly report on the PM POSHAN portal. The copy-ready summary produced by this calculator contains the date, student numbers, grain and ingredient quantities and cooking cost in one line, so you can paste it into your register, Excel sheet or WhatsApp group without re-typing. Always follow the exact SMS or app format prescribed by your state for official reporting.

Key Features of the PM POSHAN Scheme

• Bal Vatika included: PM POSHAN extended the hot cooked meal to pre-primary (Bal Vatika) children in government and government-aided primary schools.
• Tithi Bhojan: community members can contribute special food on festivals or family occasions to add variety and nutrition.
• School Nutrition Gardens: schools are encouraged to grow vegetables and fruits that are used in the meal and teach children about nutrition.
• Supplementary nutrition: states can provide additional items such as milk, eggs, fruits or sprouts in aspirational districts and areas with high anaemia.
• Fortified rice: fortified rice (with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12) is supplied through FCI; it is used in the same quantity as normal rice.
• Social audit and nutrition experts: social audits are mandatory in all districts, and a nutrition expert is appointed in each school to check the quality of meals.
• Cook-cum-helpers: they receive an honorarium shared between the Centre and States, paid for at least 10 months a year.

Tips for Correct MDM Calculation

• Count the children who actually ate the meal, not the enrolment or attendance.
• Keep Bal Vatika, primary and upper primary counts separate – the norms and rates differ.
• Use the rate valid on the meal date; the calculator does this automatically, but check your state's circular for any additional state share.
• Record grain in kg with three decimals (grams) in the stock register to avoid rounding differences at the end of the month.
• Reconcile the physical stock with the register at the end of every week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Ministry of Education – PM POSHAN scheme guidelines and pmposhan.education.gov.in; Ministry of Education press releases on material cost revision (October 2022, December 2024, May 2025).