The occasion saw singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan being declared the brand ambassador of Akshaya Patra by ISKCON Bangalore president Madhu Pandita Dasa
The Akshaya Patra Foundation that serves midday meal to over 1.4 million schoolchildren in nine States has said that it may not continue the mission beyond 2030.
Strange, but true, the non-governmental organisation established by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangalore, wants every child in the country to get everything — from food to education, without any external intervention by 2030. The foundation’s wish was revealed by its trustee T.V. Mohandas Pai at a function to celebrate Akshaya Patra serving the one billionth meal here on Sunday.
Mr. Pai said the that foundation began the mission with just 1,500 students in 2000 and is now serving 1.4 million children in nine States with support from the Union and the State governments and donors. By 2020, the foundation aims to serve five million children, from which point, it hopes every needy child in the country will be taken care of.
Infosys Technologies Chairman Emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy said that children will absorb their lessons better if they had had a good breakfast. He asked Mr. Pai, “Why don’t you arrange for biscuits and banana for schoolchildren in the morning.” While many NGOs do not want to wind up any programme, Mr. Murthy appreciated the foundation’s decision to wind up the programme by 2030.
The occasion saw singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan being declared the brand ambassador of Akshaya Patra by ISKCON Bangalore president Madhu Pandita Dasa. A digital versatile disk featuring a promo-song by lyricist Javed Akhtar and composed and performed by Mahadevan was released by Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty.
Two Akshaya Patra beneficiaries, C.J. Karthik of government college, Saneguruvanahalli, Bangalore, who got admission into MBBS at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute after securing the 90 rank in CET, and C. Savita, who stood 9 in SSLC as a student of corporation high school in Sriramapuram, Bangalore, were felicitated.
The former Chief Justice of India S. Rajendra Babu and ISKCON vice-president Chanchalapati Dasa were present.
Keywords: Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, Shankar Mahadevan
It is perhaps a wise decision if the Foundation believes that India may be a developed nation by 2030 and in such a case, there should be no need for philanthropy. The foundation should transition its logistics and operational model to a private, perhaps, a cooperative body of parents who should fund and run a commercial, healthy midday meal system for children in schools and colleges. The model is so smart that it should be run at rural worksites to provide healthy low-cost meals to workers and their families. Yet another modified model may combine the central kitchen operation and logistics with fixed and mobile vending machines to serve hot meals at office complexes and malls.
The work of akshaya patra is highly appreciated. State and central Govt are doing their bit too. But how long are we going to serve free food to the rising population of India. Does anyone even think of controlling the mounting population? I think it is time that our Govt and society spread some awareness about putting a control to the BPL (Below Poverty Line) growing population. The security guard of an apartment where I stayed in past in Bangalore had 4 kids and his ageing wife was pregnant again. I try to convince him that, whatever he is doing is not correct and the response was “sir it’s a god’s gift”. People don’t even know that they can continue their sex life without having kids. I guided him go to a Govt hospital and take some consultation. Basically there is no awareness among these people. Today I see big hoardings of politicians when visiting a city or his/her birthday,no problem with it. But can the Govt not put some awareness banners as well?And we people of this country?
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