President Droupadi Murmu will be serving the 5 billionth meal provided by The Akshaya Patra Foundation as part of the PM POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) scheme, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 17. The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been a partner of the government on the scheme since 2001. As part of the next five-year phase (till 2030-31) of the scheme, the Foundation aims to disburse another 3 million meals in schools, said the Foundation’s co-founder and vice-chairman Chanchalapathi Dasa.
“We are currently serving mid-day meals to 2.35 million children as a part of PM POSHAN and hope to reach more children by 2030. We also intend to bring the next 3 million children into the ambit of the Morning Nutrition Programme (MNP),” said the co-founder, adding that currently the Foundation is serving 8 lakh children under this programme.
“Access to regular, nutritious meals in school has had a profound impact not only on children but also on their families and communities. When children are assured of a daily meal at school, attendance and retention improve significantly, as parents are more encouraged to send their children to school regularly,” the co-founder explained. “This is especially important in vulnerable communities where economic constraints often compete with a child’s education.”
Dasa said a nutritious meal helps address classroom hunger, improves concentration, and supports better learning outcomes, enabling students to participate more actively in school. And this continuity in education, in turn, increases the likelihood of children completing their schooling and pursuing higher education or meaningful livelihoods, he said. Additionally, it reduces financial pressure on families.
In the future, the Foundation also plans to harness their alumni network. “The Foundation plans to involve the alumni in events and provide mentorship opportunities for current beneficiaries. In the long term, the vision is to develop a structured alumni community that can support, inspire and give back to future generations of students while strengthening the impact ecosystem of the Foundation,” he said.
The Foundation has been partnering with the government since 2001, starting with government schools in Bengaluru, and now provides mid-day meals and breakfast in school for children across states. “The Akshay Patra Foundation will continue working with the government and various stakeholders to support the programme through large-scale efficient kitchen operations, nutrition innovations and technology-enabled delivery systems,” said the co-founder. |
