Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government initiated the Mid-day meals for the Class 9 and 10 students in all the government-run schools today. The hot cooked meals will be provided under the Mukhyamantri Poshan Yojana from today onwards in the Financial Year 2025-26. As many as 10,80,000 students studying in several government-run and government aided secondary schools in Odisha will be benefitted under the said scheme, said the School and Mass Education Minister, Nityananda Gond. The decision was taken to increase the nutritional intake of students and to enhance their enrollment and attendance at the secondary levels, informed the Additional Secretary SK Mohapatra. Additionally, the government will also provide millet ladoos on three-days for the students of Classes 1 to 10 every week from April 1. The millet ladoos will be provided on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. According to the department, the students of government and government-aided schools will receive three ladoos, which is prepared from groundnut, sesame, millet, and jaggery, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays during morning assemblies from April 1, 2025. An additional egg will also been added in the mid-day menu, now three eggs to be provided to the students on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. The Shishu Vatikas (pre-school classes) will begin from April 2 where children in the age group of 5-6 years will be admitted for pre-school education.