Correct Option
The correct option isMid-day Meal Scheme
Explanation
The Mid-day Meal Scheme (now subsumed under PM POSHAN) is a centrally sponsored scheme designed to address the dual challenges of hunger and education among children in India.Analysis of Options:
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Launched to achieve the universalization of elementary education. Its primary focus is on infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and quality of education, rather than direct nutritional intervention.
- Mid-day Meal Scheme Mid-day Meal Scheme: Launched in 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE). Its specific objectives are to enhance enrollment, retention, and attendance of children in schools while simultaneously improving their nutritional levels.
- Navodaya Vidyalaya Navodaya Vidyalaya: These are residential schools established to provide high-quality education to talented children predominantly from rural areas. It is an institutional framework, not a specific nutritional support scheme.
- Samagra Shiksha Samagra Shiksha: An integrated scheme for school education extending from pre-school to Class 12. It subsumes SSA, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE). While it covers holistic education, the specific mandate for nutrition lies with the Mid-day Meal Scheme (PM POSHAN).
Key Takeaway: The Mid-day Meal Scheme is distinct in its targeted approach to improving the nutritional status of children in government and government-aided schools, thereby acting as a direct incentive for school attendance and retention.