Delhi government schools not serving idli-sambar despite August 24 deadline

Delhi government and government-aided schools have not yet implemented the revised weekly menu under the PM-POSHAN scheme, with the new dish of idli-sambar notably absent from meals served to students. Despite a deadline of August 24, 2026, for its operationalisation, schools continue to provide food according to the earlier menu, nearly two months after the revised guidelines were issued.

The Directorate of Education (DoE) had announced the revised menu in August 2026, directing schools and implementing agencies to make necessary arrangements for the changes, including the introduction of idli-sambar within two weeks. The changes were recommended by the Meal Review Committee after assessing the existing menu, meal coverage, stakeholder feedback, and implementation experiences.

Non-Implementation of Revised Menu

Schools in Delhi are currently serving meals that adhere to the previous menu, based on what a School Management Committee (SMC) member. The SMC member stated, “The food being served in the school is still based on what the old menu. We have not seen the revised menu being implemented so far. Items such as aloo-puri, curry-rice, halwa and dalia continue to be served to students.”

The revised menu was intended to introduce various dishes, including idli with sambar, rice with chhole, poori with chhole, poori with black chana gravy and mashed vegetables, rice with chhole and mashed vegetables, rice with dal, and rice with kadhi. It also replaced ragi halwa with wheat flour and chana masala, and vegetable dalia with jowar and bajra. All six days of the revised menu were required to be followed in every school, with zonal and district education officers directed to monitor compliance.

Challenges in Introducing Idli-Sambar

The primary reason cited for the delay in implementing idli-sambar is the lack of specific equipment and necessary arrangements in school kitchens. A member of the Government School Principals’ Association confirmed the situation, stating, “Idli-sambar has not been introduced in our schools so far. The preparation requires specific equipment and the kitchens do not have the necessary arrangements in place yet. Until these facilities are available, it will be difficult for schools to serve the dish as part of the regular meal.”

An SMC member further elaborated on the logistical challenges involved in introducing new items. “Suppose an agency is catering to 10 schools with around 800 students in total. Introducing a new item is not simply a matter of changing the menu on paper. The agency has to arrange the required equipment and ingredients, plan the preparation and ensure that meals reach all the schools on time. Such changes need coordination and is a bit challenging,” the member explained. The DoE had clarified that agencies could serve different approved menu items in different schools on the same day, depending on ingredient availability and logistical requirements.

Further reading

• Delhi government schools miss idli-sambar deadline, old PM-POSHAN menu continues
• Delhi government schools yet to implement revised PM-POSHAN menu, idli-sambar unavailable
• UP Board extends deadline to October 22 for 5,905 schools to generate Class 9, 11 student lists
• Delhi schools shift online, colleges postpone exams amid Jantar Mantar protest security

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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