Idli-sambar to be served in Delhi govt schools under revised PM-POSHAN menu

Idli-sambar will soon be on the plates of students in Delhi government schools, with the dish set to be introduced within two weeks under a revised PM-POSHAN menu that also replaces ragi halwa with wheat flour and chana masala, and vegetable daliya with jowar and bajra.

The Directorate of Education has directed schools and implementing agencies to make the necessary arrangements by August 24.

The revised menu replaces some existing meal items and includes poori with black chana gravy, rice with chhole and mashed vegetables, poori with chhole, rice with dal, and rice with kadhi, according to an order issued by the DoE on Monday.

While most of the revised menu will come into force immediately, idli with sambar has been given a two-week transition period, as its preparation requires specific equipment, specialised ingredients, dedicated infrastructure and trained manpower, it said.

The Meal Review Committee recommended the changes after reviewing the existing weekly menu, meal coverage, stakeholder feedback and implementation experience, the department said.

According to the revised six-day menu, students will get poori with black chana gravy and mashed vegetables on Day 1, idli with sambar on Day 2, rice with chhole and mashed vegetables on Day 3, poori with chhole and mashed vegetables on Day 4, rice with dal on Day 5, and rice with kadhi on Day 6.

The committee has also recommended replacing ragi halwa with wheat flour and chana masala, and vegetable daliya with jowar and bajra, it said.

The order said the revised menu for Day 1 and Days 3 to 6 would come into effect immediately, while empanelled NGOs and centralised kitchen agencies have been given a maximum of two weeks to operationalise idli with sambar. Agencies have been directed to ensure the dish is served no later than August 24, and no further extension would ordinarily be granted beyond the two-week period.

The Directorate clarified that the menu does not require an NGO or centralised kitchen agency to serve the same food item in every school on a particular day. Depending on the availability of ingredients, logistical constraints and other operational requirements, an implementing agency may serve different approved menu items in different schools on the same day, it said, though all six menu days must be followed in every school.

The revised menu will be implemented across all government and government-aided schools covered under the PM-POSHAN scheme under the Directorate of Education. Implementing agencies have also been directed to comply with nutritional norms under PM-POSHAN guidelines, FSSAI food safety and hygiene standards, and other quality parameters prescribed by the Directorate.

Agencies found violating the revised menu, implementation timelines or quality norms may face action under the terms of their empanelment agreements and applicable rules, the order said.

Zonal and district education officers will monitor and verify compliance, while meal review inspections and random food sampling will continue to assess the quality and nutritional adequacy of meals. Implementing agencies will have to submit a compliance report within three days of completing implementation, including the operationalisation of idli with sambar, while zonal and district education officers will submit field verification reports within a week of the expiry of the two-week implementation period.