Says children who eat balanced meals concentrate better
Lays foundation of Akshaya Patra’s 5,000-meal kitchen in Katra
Serves meals to students; ‘kitchen facility to come up in Jammu’
RK News Service
Jammu, May 21: “A hungry child cannot learn, and a school that cannot feed its children cannot honestly create equal opportunities for progress,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday.
The LG made these remarks while laying the foundation stone of Akshaya Patra’s centralised kitchen facility in Katra, which will provide 5,000 nutritious meals to school children every day once operational.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor said decades of global research have shown that nutrition and education are not separate things; education rests on the foundation of good nutrition.
“Children who eat balanced, nutritious meals concentrate better, retain information more effectively, and participate more actively in class. Protein, vitamins, and a balanced diet supply the basic energy for thinking and understanding of a child. I want every school in Jammu and Kashmir to remember that when we provide nutritious meals in schools, we are not merely filling stomachs but shaping future thinking,” he said.
Sinha urged stronger collaboration between the government and social organisations to empower the younger generation. “Every child deserves access to healthy food, and we need to make sure no child is left behind,” he added.
The LG also spoke about Akshaya Patra’s future projects in the Union Territory, including an upcoming kitchen facility in Jammu.
He applauded the selfless service of Akshaya Patra, which is among the world’s largest NGOs in the school meal sector, currently serving over 20 lakh children across 16 states and three Union Territories.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also served meals to school students.
Bharatarshabha Dasa, National President and Trustee of The Akshaya Patra Foundation; MLAs Baldev Raj Sharma and Kuldeep Raj Dubey; Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the LG; Commissioner Secretary School Education Ram Niwas Sharma; IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti; Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; DC Reasi Kumar Abhishek; senior officials, members of Akshaya Patra Foundation, and a large number of students attended the ceremony.