Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Delhi government schools to get idli-sambar in revised menu
Children in Delhi government schools will soon get new food.
Their school lunches are changing to a new menu.
One new dish is idli with sambar, a soft rice cake with lentil soup.
Another new dish is poori with chana, a fried bread with chickpea curry.
Some old dishes are being swapped for new ones.
For example, ragi halwa is being replaced with wheat flour and chana masala.
Vegetable daliya is being replaced with jowar and bajra.
The new menu has six different days of food.
Idli with sambar takes extra time to set up, so schools get two weeks to prepare it.
All schools must start serving it by August 24.
Idli-sambar will be introduced in Delhi government schools within two weeks under a revised PM-POSHAN menu.
The revised menu replaces ragi halwa with wheat flour and chana masala, and vegetable daliya with jowar and bajra.
The six-day menu includes poori with black chana gravy, idli with sambar, rice with chhole, poori with chhole, rice with dal and rice with kadhi.
Most menu items take effect immediately, but idli-sambar must be served no later than August 24, with no extension ordinarily granted.
Implementing agencies may serve different approved items in different schools on the same day, but all six menu days must be followed in every school.
- Who
- Students in Delhi government and government-aided schools, the Directorate of Education, and implementing agencies such as NGOs and centralised kitchen agencies.
- What
- A revised PM-POSHAN menu that introduces idli-sambar and other meal changes, including replacing ragi halwa and vegetable daliya with other items.
- When
- Order issued by the Directorate of Education on Monday, reported August 11; most changes take effect immediately, with idli-sambar due by August 24.
- Where
- All government and government-aided schools in Delhi covered under the PM-POSHAN scheme under the Directorate of Education.
- Why
- The changes were recommended by the Meal Review Committee after reviewing the existing weekly menu, meal coverage, stakeholder feedback and implementation experience.
- Scheme
- PM-POSHAN (school meal programme)
- Issuing authority
- Directorate of Education, Delhi
- Order date
- Monday, reported August 11
- Idli-sambar deadline
- August 24, no extension ordinarily granted
- Menu cycle
- Six days, with idli-sambar on Day 2
- Replaced items
- Ragi halwa replaced by wheat flour and chana masala; vegetable daliya replaced by jowar and bajra
- Coverage
- Government and government-aided schools under the DoE
- Compliance
- PM-POSHAN nutritional norms and FSSAI food safety and hygiene standards
