A cooking competition for cooks preparing mid-day meals in government schools is being held as part of the 'Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Project' (PM POSHAN) under the Ministry of Education. 

The aim of the competition is to prepare a nutritious and delicious vegetarian meal for children. Contestants will be given one hour to prepare their dishes.

While the mid-day meal scheme has existed for many years, this is the first time a competition has been organised for the cooks involved. The initiative seeks to find more delicious and varied dishes to increase the childrens' interest in mid-day meals.

The competition will be conducted on school holidays. The competition will be held from the sub-district level upward. The schedule for the district level is already in place.

Over 1,400 workers from Kerala are participating in this competition. The sub-district level competition began yesterday.

A four-member panel will judge the competition, consisting of a local food expert, a nutritionist, a teacher, and a student. 

Prize money has been announced for the top three positions in the competition. At the sub-district level, prizes are Rs 1,000, Rs 750, and Rs 500, respectively. At the district level, the prizes are Rs 3,500, Rs 2,500, and Rs 1,500, respectively. All contestants will receive a certificate for their participation.

Additionally, some sub-districts will also award mementos alongside the prize money.