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President Murmu celebrates Akshaya Patra Foundation’s 5 billion meals milestone
The event at Rashtrapati Bhavan highlighted nutrition and education as pillars of the Viksit Bharat vision by 2047.
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Anushka Pathak - Fri, 20, Mar 2026
- 17:12 EDT
- 22
President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre with Akshaya Patra’s Board of Trustees, senior government officials, distinguished leaders, public policy think tanks, philanthropists, partners, supporters, and key stakeholders. / Courtesy: PIB
India’s President Droupadi Murmu on March 17 marked the Akshaya Patra Foundation’s milestone of serving five billion midday meals to schoolchildren.
Speaking at an event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, Murmu recognized the organization's uninterrupted 25-year effort in providing midday meals across schools, which has helped address malnutrition while improving attendance.
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The program, held under the theme “From a Well-Nourished and Well-Educated India to a Developed India,” focused on the combined role of nutrition and schooling in realizing India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047 (Viksit Bharat 2047).
The president emphasized that ensuring a secure and promising future for children is a collective responsibility shared by government and society, rather than the duty of the government alone. She stressed the importance of guaranteeing every child access to quality education, nutritious food, good health, and a clean, safe environment.
Murmu pointed out that education shapes opportunities from the moment children enter school and equips them to grow into responsible citizens. She noted that the government’s PM POSHAN scheme has contributed to higher enrolment, better attendance, improved retention, enhanced learning outcomes, and stronger academic performance.
The President observed that Akshaya Patra’s work aligns with and advances the aims of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which targets inclusive and quality education by 2030.
She described children not merely as recipients of free meals but as future builders of the nation. The nutritious food provided today, she said, represents an investment in India’s human capital. Healthy, educated, and energetic children, according to the President, will form the country’s workforce and play a decisive role in achieving a developed India by 2047.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was the guest of honor, also attended the event along with Akshaya Patra’s Board of Trustees, senior government officials, distinguished leaders, public policy think tanks, philanthropists, partners, supporters, and key stakeholders.
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