MUMBAI, July 20 -- The Centre has approved a budget of Rs.1,935.39 crore for implementing the PM POSHAN (midday meal) scheme in Maharashtra for the financial year 2026-27, in addition, it has also earmarked Rs.95.95 crore for eggs, bananas and seasonal fruits, while raising concerns over a steady decline in student enrolment, weak health interventions and inadequate training of cook-cum-helpers across the state. The issues came up during the recent Programme Approval Board (PAB) meeting, chaired by Sanjay Kumar, secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, where Maharashtra's annual work plan and budget under the flagship nutrition scheme were approved. The Centre approved Rs.1,217.02 crore as its share, while the state will contribute Rs.718.37 crore. The funds are meant to provide hot cooked midday meals to around 8.524 million students over 234 school working days. Of the total allocation, Rs.1,620.19 crore has been set aside towards the basic cost of preparing meals, while the flexi component includes Rs.95.95 crore for eggs, bananas and other seasonal fruits. For millions of children, particularly those from economically weaker families, the school meal is often the most nutritious meal of the day. Nutrition experts have long maintained that protein-rich foods such as eggs, along with fruits, play a crucial role in supporting children's physical growth, brain development, immunity and classroom learning. Even as it approved the funding, the Centre expressed concern over a consistent decline in the number of children covered under the scheme. According to figures presented before the board, enrolment under PM POSHAN has fallen for five consecutive years, from 10.049 million students in 2021-22 to 9.446 million in 2025-26. In just the last year, enrolment declined from 9.651 million to 9.446 million, a drop of around 200,000 students. The board also noted that the average number of students actually receiving meals was even lower, at 8.332 million, describing the widening gap between enrolment and meal coverage as an "unhealthy trend". To understand the reasons behind the decline, the Centre has asked Maharashtra to study 10 to 20 schools in every district, examining factors such as migration, school dropouts, low attendance, declining birth rates and students shifting to private schools. The state has been directed to take corrective measures based on the findings. The review also highlighted shortcomings in the appointment and training of cook-cum-helpers. In 7,039 schools where meals are supplied through centralised kitchens run by women's self-help groups, only 1,892 cook-cum-helpers have been engaged. State officials told the board that this was due to a different state policy, which has now been aligned with the Centre's guidelines. The Centre also flagged the low level of training among these workers. Only 13% of cook-cum-helpers across Maharashtra have received training, while 16 districts reported that no training programmes were conducted at all. The board has directed Maharashtra to ensure annual training and refresher courses for all cook-cum-helpers to improve food safety, hygiene and overall implementation of the scheme. The Centre's approval of Rs.95.95 crore for eggs, bananas and seasonal fruits comes after Maharashtra's policy on including eggs in school meals underwent several changes over the past three years....