Discussion Room

2022 was a landmark year for us at The Akshaya Patra Foundation!

Our NGO hit the milestone of nourishing over 2 million (20,10,516) children in 22,367 schools daily under PM Poshan Abhiyaan (earlier called the Mid-Day Meal Scheme or MDM) and also launched new initiatives to level up the nutrition our beneficiaries receive.

We explored deeper into sustainability and established new kitchens across India to serve more people in need. We also received four awards including the India Today Happiness Award, the Business World Social Impact Award, the Mahatma Award for Social Good and Impact ‘Zero Hunger’, and the CSR Times Award – Gold Category in the field of ‘Eradication of Extreme Hunger and Malnutrition’.

Let’s have a look at what we accomplished together in 2022 as we pull up our sleeves to tackle 2023.

Inaugurated 9 new kitchens
We inaugurated eight centralised kitchens and one decentralised facility in 2022:

Centralised kitchens:
• Puducherry kitchen: feeds over 49,796 children in 537 schools
• Varanasi kitchen, Gujarat: feeds over 100,000 children in 282 schools
• Anantapur kitchen, Andhra Pradesh: feeds over 1,756 children in 13 schools
• Mangalagiri kitchen, Andhra Pradesh: feeds over 20,432 children in 309 schools
• Dehradun kitchen, Uttarakhand: feeds over 11,900 children in 132 schools
• Mansa kitchen, Gujarat: feeds over 26,000 children in 190 schools
• Jorhat kitchen, Assam: feeds over 10,070 children in 156 schools
• Gadarpur kitchen, Uttarakhand: New Kitchen, feeding yet to be started.

Decentralised kitchen
• Chikkaballapur kitchen, Karnataka: serves 1,000 meals a day in 8 schools

Donations from generous donors such as the Hans Foundation and IndusInd Bank made these kitchens possible. Many dignitaries, including the Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Sri Amit Shah, attended the inauguration and pledged their support for our efforts.

Launched Digital Education Programme in partnership with an EdTech company
Since the digital revolution, many people could access learning easily on their digital devices. However, children from low-income backgrounds were distanced from several opportunities for growth and better quality of education as they could not afford such devices.

Thus, we launched our digital education programme in partnership with an EdTech company to bridge the gap between quality education and digital access. It engages in Government and Government-aided schools to improve the quality of education while supporting the Government’s vision of ‘Digital India’.

This free education programme provides digital aids to children from economically weaker sections to boost learning outcomes while making education an enjoyable experience. The new initiative also allows children to prepare for competitive exams.

It also supports teachers with tech-enabled teaching tools to make teaching an exciting experience and impart better learning to students. Furthermore, it also supplements our efforts in implementing the PM Poshan Abhiyaan (earlier called the MDM Programme) by promoting quality education in the beneficiary schools.

Introduced millets in school meals
When compared to rice and wheat, millets are cereal food crops with a nutrition value that is five times higher. They are abundant in iron, zinc, calcium, complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre and other minerals vital for reducing malnutrition in India.

They are also easily digestible and boost the neurological system. They include higher amounts of niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, thus enabling us to add more micronutrients to the food we serve to children.

Therefore, we hope to benefit millions of children in India by including millet in school meals. It will improve digestion, lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease, prevent diabetes, reduce the risk of developing cancer, increase energy levels and improve the muscular system.

Finally, these crops are also a crucial component of sustainable food-growing methods because they are indigenous to India and can be cultivated in low-fertility soils with little input of fertilisers and pesticides.

As a result, our NGO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nutrihub, the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) to include millets in the menu for children’s mid-day meals.

Incorporated sustainable kitchen infrastructure
Our kitchens adhere to cutting-edge manufacturing techniques for preparing school meals, maintaining global standards of quality and ensuring that our beneficiaries get the healthiest meals possible.

With our new kitchens, we are taking a step ahead in combining sustainability with technology. For instance, during food production in our new kitchens, we now employ solar panels to generate power along with a heat pump and solar water heater.

Started the Breakfast Feeding Programme
Breakfast ensures that children have enough nourishment and energy to attend lessons every day with better focus and interest, according to a review of studies on the subject. They attend classes regularly, practise excellent behaviour and exhibit enhanced academic success. Additionally, it reduces expenses for lower-income households, encouraging them to enrol their children in school. But those children who miss breakfast make more mistakes and have worse memory recall.

Therefore, well-planned and nutrient-rich food would aid children in recovering from widespread undernourishment and the Indian population in the long run. In light of this, our NGO began supplying breakfast in addition to lunch in Government schools, beginning with those in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka.

Build a sustainable future for India with tax-exempted donations

With the help of our generous donor family, we were also able to distribute 240 million meals as food relief during the Bangalore, Assam and Godavari floods. Now, new kitchens and initiatives based on sound research are underway.

To increase their impact, we need your unwavering support.

One can now support a child’s breakfast, lunch and education for a year with ₹2500 and help put an end to child malnutrition in India. When you donate to our NGO, you can also avail 50% tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act as we are registered u/s 12A of the Act as a non-profit organisation.

All online donations over ₹500 to Akshaya Patra are eligible for 50% tax exemption and donors will receive a tax exemption certificate as proof to claim 80G deductions.

So, let’s not wait to bring health, education and opportunities to millions of underprivileged children.
Make a tax-exempted donation online with a few clicks and help shape India’s hunger-free future!

It was another big and memorable day for us at Akshaya Patra on 7 July 2022!

We launched our 62nd kitchen in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh which will serve meals to over 1,00,000 children in 282 schools through the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN Abhiyaan) [formerly called the Mid-Day Meal Scheme]

Our humble beginnings started by feeding 1,500 children in Government schools of Bengaluru. It started with only a selfless thought and an improvised Akshaya Patra kitchen. What we have become today shows that anything is possible if the intent is noble.

Over the decades, we may have heard discussions only on problems within Indian societies.
But don’t you think discussions can be more fruitful if they are about solutions to the prevailing problems instead?

For instance, we all know that hunger and education have been India’s two most pressing challenges since its independence from colonial rule. However, little was being done about it.

One of the reasons might be that we often tend to leave everything to the government authorities, blaming them if our expectations are not met. However, little do we understand that we, as citizens of India, also bear responsibilities towards our country that provides resources for us to live and grow amidst comfortable surroundings.

Hence, we must also lend a hand in helping our fellow citizens who are lesser privileged than us but deserve an equal share in the nation’s resources.

Role of Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India
Acknowledging the need of the hour, our activities at Akshaya Patra began with a pledge that no child shall be deprived of education because of food. Soon our small NGO in India became a hub for billions of responsible citizens to contribute through online donations towards the mid-day meal programme in Government and Government-aided schools.

Today, we feel proud to mention that the support of our donors has grown to such an extent that our kitchens are being built with great speed all over the country, where each kitchen holds the capacity of feeding lakhs of children in hundreds of schools while maintaining high cooking standards.

Our newly-built 62nd kitchen in Varanasi is one such facility that deploys a roti machine with 40,000 rotis/hr capacity, a rice cauldron with 700-ltr capacity, a dal cauldron with 1,200-ltr capacity and an RO plant for water purification. Moving further towards sustainability, we will also use solar panels to produce electricity and solar water heater to boil water during the cooking process.

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Varanasi kitchen in the presence of the Governor, Smt Anandiben Patel, and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath. With its launch, we wrote another chapter of our association with the Uttar Pradesh Government as this is the fifth facility after the centralized kitchens in Lucknow, Vrindavan, Gorakhpur and Mant.

The inauguration event was followed by a tour of the new Akshaya Patra kitchen facility and the dignitaries pledged their support for our endeavours. It clearly demonstrated the Government’s appreciation for the efforts of our Foundation and billions of our kind donors who are ready to give selflessly for the nation.

Tackling two problems with a single initiative
Our ideology at Akshaya Patra is unique in its own way. Through the successful implementation of the Government’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan, we not only nourish the minds and bodies of underprivileged children but also help them focus on education.

And there is a bonus!
It solves a major concern of parents not sending their children to school. When schools serve meals, it gives the parents from low-income backgrounds an incentive to send their children to school as they would not have to worry about their nutrition. And when it is supplemented with free education, these parents readily agree.

Final Thoughts
When you think long-term, any amount from the pockets of millions of compassionate donors can make a huge difference in how India will look in a decade. Bright minds and healthy bodies will be leading a developed India whose faces will shine and inspire internationally.

Also, when these mid-day meal beneficiaries grow up into successful and brilliant personalities, they will remember the value of selfless contributions made by people and work diligently to return the kindness by impacting the lives of those who lack access to resources.

Millions of children are exploited for cheap labour and some of them don’t even know that they are being exploited. Many of these children are mostly forced by their families to be a helping hand to the family’s financial situation. Poverty is one major factor that ensnared into child labour.

“There is no place for child labour in society. It robs children of their future and keeps families in poverty.”
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General

Unpaid or paid work, both deprive children of a well-deserved education. Can you imagine a child who has never seen the bright side of life but has always either worked with poisonous substances in a factory or has taken the role of a caretaker to babysit their siblings?

Over 9 million children could be pushed into child labour by 2022: International Labour Organisation (ILO)
But, is this the case only with India?
No, it is prevalent all over the world.

According to the latest report by ILO and UNICEF, the number of children has risen to a shocking number of 160 million, worldwide.

Many NGOs in India and worldwide work towards eliminating child labour at the grass-root level. What are the root causes?
There are many interlinking factors, if we do not address the root cause, then we will never be able to address the issue.

• Poverty
Without a second thought, poverty is the most powerful influence in pushing children into child labour. When basic requirements like food, shelter, health or education become luxurious commodities, children are forced to supplement their family’s income.

• Lack of quality education
It is a prevalent fact that mostly, children coming from challenging backgrounds do not get access to quality education in private institutions due to lack of funds, etc. Though you can donate to NGOs that support children’s education, there is always a gap that is difficult to bridge.

And this gap can be reduced by a simple intervention called the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM Scheme). Education and food are the two solutions that could tackle child labour. Various states implemented this programme after its success in Tamil Nadu. After the mandate of the Supreme Court of India in 2001, all the states started implementing school meals for primary and upper primary school children.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme could work to bring children to school and help them become regular so that the social evil of child labour has no space to grow.

\To support the Government of India to feed and educate children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation – an NGO in India provides unlimited food for education to 1.8 million children in need every day.

Mid day meals relieve them of the burden of working for their daily meals. Donate to feed the children who need you the most to overcome every little hurdle in their life. Join us in our feeding initiatives.

One well-fed and educated child is one less child on the list of child labour.

One of the pioneer mid-day meal NGOs, it has been a relentless effort of The Akshaya Patra Foundation to benefit more and more children with the Mid-Day Meal Programme. Recently, the Foundation inaugurated its 59th and 60th kitchen in Gadarpur, Uttarakhand and Lawspet, Puducherry.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a midday meal NGO has been nourishing school children with nutritious meals for the past 21 years. It has been their constant endeavour to benefit more and more children with this programme. Until 2021, Akshaya Patra had a beneficiary base of 18,00,907 children across 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools across 58 locations of 13 States and 1 Union Territory.

Stepping forward as a midday meal NGO with the vision, “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger” and a defined mission, “To feed 5 million children by 2025”, Akshaya Patra recently expanded its reach to two new regions – Gadarpur in Uttarakhand and Lawspet in Puducherry. While both the kitchens will follow suit similar to any other centralized kitchen of Akshaya Patra with regards to adherence to highest standards of hygiene, food safety and quality, the specifics of each kitchen are as follows:

• Gadarpur Kitchen in Uttarakhand

Inauguration: On 1 January 2022, Shri Arvind Pandey – Honourable Minister of School Education, Government of Uttarakhand inaugurated the Gadarpur Kitchen. The other prominent guests at the event were Shri Balraj Pasi, Honourable Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and delegates of Concentrix. On behalf of the Foundation, Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice-Chairman, Akshaya Patra; Shri G Raghuram, Principal Academic Advisor, National Rail and Transport, Trustee of Akshaya Patra Foundation; and Shri Bharatarshabha Dasa, National President, Trustee of Akshaya Patra were present at the event.

About the Kitchen: The Gadarpur Kitchen is the 59th kitchen of Akshaya Patra and the first of its kind in Uttarakhand. This centralized kitchen is sponsored by Concentrix with a built-up area of 7,000 sq. ft.

Feeding capacity and menu: The kitchen is equipped to prepare 15,000 meals. However, it will start by serving about 10,000 children in 100 Government schools and eventually increase its reach. Continuing with the practice to feed the children with locally palatable meals, the menu of Gadarpur Kitchen will be cyclic and include roti, rice, mix dal, aloo matar, rajma, veg pulao, kabuli chana, khichdi and kheer.

Way forward: In the near future, Akshaya Patra aims to set up kitchens in five cities of Uttarakhand – Dehradun, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Sitarganj and Haridwar. This will benefit approximately 2.2 lakh children in the state.

• Puducherry Kitchen

Inauguration: On 5 January 2022, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan – Honourable Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and Shri N. Rangasamy – Honourable Chief Minister inaugurated Akshaya Patra’s Puducherry Kitchen in Lawspet. The other prominent guests at the event were Shri R. Selvam – Honourable Speaker, Puducherry Legislative Assembly; Shri A. Namassivayam – Honourable Minister, Home and Education; Shri K. Lakshminarayanan – Honourable Minister, PWD; Shri A.K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar – Honourable Minister, Civil Supplies; Shri V. Vaithilingam – MP (Lok Sabha); Shri S. Selvaganapathy – MP (Rajya Sabha); Shri P.M.L. Kalyanasundaram – MLA, Kalapet; Shri M. Vaithianathan, MLA – Lawspet; Shri Ramakant Agarwal – General Manager, The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.; and Smt. Jayashri Prabhu, Senior Manager, General Insurance Corporation of India. The event was presided by Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice-Chairman, Akshaya Patra.

About the Kitchen: The Puducherry Kitchen is the 60th kitchen of Akshaya Patra and the first in Puducherry. This centralized kitchen is supported by The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and General Insurance Corporation of India. It has a fleet of 20 vehicles to deliver meals to schools.

Feeding capacity and menu: The kitchen is equipped to serve 50,800 children in 291 Government schools. It will feed the children with locally palatable meals that will include rice and seasonal vegetable poriyal, vegetable pulav, sweet pongal, sambar, sundal, curd, etc.

To sustain the current operations across India and to further expand its reach, Akshaya Patra requires support from all sections of the society – government, civic authorities, CSR partners, as well as individual donors. Be a part of Akshaya Patra’s impactful journey. Donate generously to feed the children.

An online art show titled “Krishna – The Infinite”, which featured over 100 paintings and sculptures of over 50 artists, was launched by Aura Art eConnect Pvt. Ltd, in support of The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s various initiatives. An art connoisseur and curater Aura Art, fills gaps in the Indian Art Industry by promoting Indian Art and artists all over India. A portion of the proceeds will be donated by Aura Art to The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

The art show was hosted by Akshaya Patra on 27th February 2021. This sale was on until 14th March 2021. At the virtual launch, the Chief Guest was MasterChef Padma Shri Sanjeev Kapoor and the Guest of Honour was Rotarian Sandip Agarwalla (DGN 2022-23, Rotary International District 3141). Other dignitaries present at this rare online art show launch were Mr. Shridhar Venkat (CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation), Mr Sundeep Talwar (CMO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation) and Mr Rishiraj Sethi (Director, Aura Art eConnect Pvt Ltd).

Take a step closer, as together, we can create an eternal impact.

Join hands with Akshaya Patra and play a contributing role in mitigating world hunger & education for all.

Life is about giving while you have. Make donations to The Akshaya Patra Foundation and bring in joy into the lives of little children. On making a donation to Akshaya Patra, you instantly receive a receipt. You also get a tax exemption certificate under Section 80G of Income Tax Act.

Every single organisation including NGOs are adapting to new technologies with the aim to make its services convenient for the end user. And, so is The Akshaya Patra Foundation in enhancing its operations, awareness creation of its cause and easing the process of donation and generation of receipt and tax exemption certificate.

Akshaya Patra is a pioneer mid-day meal NGO that provides school meals to children across 12 States and 2 Union Territories. Wholesome and freshly-cooked lunch is served to 1.8 million+ children in Government and Government-aided schools of India. This NGO in India serves locally palatable meals in 51 locations so that school children can relish food that suits their taste buds.

Akshaya Patra is a registered NGO, so when you donate online to the you become eligible to receive tax exemption under section 80G. This means that you can save while you donate. In addition, you will instantly receive the donation receipt and tax exemption certificate for your donated amount.

By contributing towards Akshaya Patra, you will help children with nutrition and regular schooling, thereby supporting them to achieve their dreams.

Extend support for a child’s school meal today
See a distinguished personality in them tomorrow!
Donate & get instant receipt & tax exemption certificate.

India is one of the world’s largest countries and a developing market economy. The main economic sectors are services, manufacturing and agriculture.

The government’s ongoing efforts to grow the nation’s economy have begun to show results despite the enormous setbacks and interruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak over the previous three years. An increase in the number of newly registered businesses, job enrolments in the organised sector, the rise in start-ups as well as an increase in employment opportunities clearly point to an increase in job creation in the country.

Increased job creation boosts the income of the working class and as income rises, so does the amount of tax that an individual or organisation must pay.
In addition to allowing taxpayers to deduct benefits and expenses from their taxable income or wage, the Indian government mandates that all taxpayers file an income tax return (ITR) by a specific time to avoid fines or penalties. The Indian government permits a standard deduction of ₹50,000 from an employee’s net income.

What is Section 80G?

Section 80G of the Income Tax Act permits people to deduct charitable contributions from their taxes, demonstrating the government’s unwavering support for charity endeavours. However, it should be noted by taxpayers that not all charitable organisations or non-profits are qualified to provide donors with a Section 80G deduction.

Under Section 80G, a taxpayer—whether an individual, business or partnership—may deduct income taxes from donations made to designated relief funds and charitable organisations. Donations may be taxed at 100 per cent or 50 per cent, with or without restrictions, under Section 80G, depending on the organisation’s registration.

Double Win: Feed Children. Save Tax.

Akshaya Patra – an NGO in India that provides hot and nutritious meals to government school children, is registered under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act which allows a 50% tax exemption on donations above ₹500. This is especially advantageous because donating to the NGO not only nourishes and educates young minds across India but also enables tax payers to save money while they become ambassadors of hope and dreams.

Donate and save tax today!

Akshaya Patra believes that exploring is a significant part of college education, and internships are a great way for students to get hands on experience of the field they are interested in. Keeping this in view, we encourage internship for students from across the globe. In addition to coaching interns in a particular field, Akshaya Patra, a charity for children focuses on enhancing their skills in communication and teamwork too.

The end of June also marked the end of Akshaya Patra’s internship programme for the students from Hong Kong University. This sequel – Part 2 is about a lively young girl named Chau. Here is how she narrates her experience.

My internship at The Akshaya Patra Foundation
“Two-and-a-half-week is such a short time to do something” was my worry on the first day interning for the Digital Marketing Team at The Akshaya Patra Foundation. Little had I known about the learning opportunities, the joy, the meaningful conversations, and the unforgettable memories waiting for me ahead. When it’s about time for me to leave, I realise that we learn more from an experience because of the process we’ve been through, the people we’ve met and worked with, the knowledge we’ve gathered, and the feelings and emotions we’ve experienced along the way.

My internship with Akshaya Patra, a non-profit organisation had been in the field of ‘Communications,’ with the focus on creating and improving the overall content for web pages and campaigns. Since this was my first experience to work in the area of online marketing and communication, I was quite worried at the beginning. However, my team mates and I were encouraged to learn, try, improve, and create our work by two dedicated supervisors. For every task given, not only did they provide us with clear and detailed instruction but also willingly listened to our opinions, gave us spaces to be creative, and provided their support when we needed.

My tasks involved writing blogs and benchmark research, both of which I had no previous experience. Yet through blogging, I learned so much about organising my ideas and how to put them down into words to deliver my thoughts to communicate with the readers. During the benchmark research, to my surprise was how our supervisors were very welcoming and listening to our comments, thoughts, and opinions. I know that what we have done is no more than just a helping hand, but the appreciation we received is such an encouragement for us.

Besides working in the Central Office, I also had opportunities to see one of the Akshaya Patra kitchens in Bengaluru and visit two beneficiary schools. These opportunities are those that touched my heart and left me with delightful memories of my time with Akshaya Patra.

It was an early morning visit to the kitchen where we learnt about the food processing and cooking. We saw how everything was carefully prepared since 4:30 a.m. and the dedication of all the workers in the kitchen to make sure that wholesome, nutritious meals are provided to students on time every school day. Our kitchen visit was followed by a school visit. It was the sound of the bell ringing during lunch time, and the children ran out of the classrooms to line up in the meal serving area, waiting for the warm, freshly prepared meals by Akshaya Patra that not only fills their empty stomach for a productive afternoon class but also their dreams in the future. The conversation that we had with the students about their dreams and hopes, despite the fact that we don’t speak the same language had been very exciting. These vivid and unforgettable memories made my internship time even more meaningful. I am sure I will carry them all with me in the future.

I felt that time passed by really quick in the past 20 days. But I saw myself learning and growing from this opportunity. And more importantly, I have seen and now truly believe, that with the efforts, actions, and dedication, we can do much more than we can think of.

The last week of June marks the end of Akshaya Patra’s internship programme for the students from Hong Kong University. Out of all the good feelings that we own for what we do and why we do it, one is – listening to the stories and testimonials from our dear interns once they’ve completed their internship programme. We love to look through their eyes on the improvisational grounds too for the Foundation. To hear how their internship taught them about a completely new culture, how they’ve evolved, made lasting friendships is exciting and so much more.

This series is dedicated to the young and lively souls who gained hands-on experience to see the operations of a non-profit organisation and meet the beneficiaries. Part 1 is about a cheerful young boy – Ben. Here is how he narrates his experience.

My internship at The Akshaya Patra Foundation

Prior to joining The Akshaya Patra Foundation, I was mostly ignorant of how classroom hunger can be such a big barrier for children to attend school. Joining Akshaya Patra has broadened much of my horizons and made me realise the importance of food for education.

Working at Akshaya Patra, a charity for children has been an absolute delight and joy for me. I was able to learn more about the intricacies of the problems millions of children are facing in the dimension of classroom hunger, visit the impressive and organised structures of Akshaya Patra kitchens, and most importantly, visit the beneficiary children during their school time whom the Foundation serves.

During my first school visit, I was very touched by the interactions I had with the children. I was overwhelmed with the sense of tenderness and affection seeing the children laugh and play around the playgrounds. Visiting the schools was undoubtedly the most memorable and enlightening experience Akshaya Patra has given me. It has bestowed upon me profound gratitude and vitality for my work and the entire Foundation. The rewards of working in Akshaya Patra, knowing you are helping all these children attain their education and giving them a shot for their dreams, is more than enough that I could ever hope for. Every day while going to work, I felt constantly renewed in the purpose and meaning of my work, and LIFE at large.

I am thoroughly grateful for my colleagues and managers. I have been perfectly blessed being able to work closely with them. They are, without a question, the most understanding and pleasant people I have ever worked with. They were gentle and kind and always actively tried to help me improve my work. My colleagues were also very amicable and charitable.

On my second school visit, I also have had the privilege of talking to the children. Despite not speaking Kannada (the regional language of Bengaluru), I was unaffected by it and asked a friend who helped me communicate with them. As a result, I could clearly see the lives that Akshaya Patra empowers. The children said that they feel very excited to attend school and have tasty mid-day meals. Their eyes gleamed with joy and they fluttered like fledging birds. It reminded me of my childhood and school days.

My visit to the Akshaya Patra kitchen enlightened me about the processes and logistical management of feeding 1.76 million children every day. I was in awe at the vessels and quality of work being done there. It is nothing less than perfection to feed such a huge number of children every day while maintaining the highest standards of food safety and nutrition. Juxtaposed with the size of the office, visiting the kitchen made me truly appreciate the scale of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

“Working with Akshaya Patra has been a fruitful and invaluable learning experience for me, both as an individual and professional. It is truly my honour and privilege to have had the chance to help alleviate classroom hunger from the lives of schoolchildren, the generation that would soon lead India and drive progress. It has been nothing but an illuminating experience and it carries its own reward. I would not replace it with anything else.”

I felt that my time as an intern in The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a charity for children came to an end all too soon. But amongst the sentiment and melancholy, I reminisce on what the wise always used to say, “Life, well-lived, is always long enough.” And truer words have never been spoken for my time in Akshaya Patra.

18 years of committed effort and perseverance beautifully culminated into a historic milestone on 11 February 2019 as The Akshaya Patra Foundation served the 3 billionth meal since its inception in 2000. The commemoration of this remarkable feat was held in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh in the august presence of Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The event was also graced by the Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Ram Naik; Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath; Shri Shrikant Sharma, Minister of Power, Uttar Pradesh; Shri Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, Minister – Dairy Development, Religious Affairs, Culture, Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj, Uttar Pradesh; Smt Anupma Jaiswal, Minister of State – Basic Education, Child Development and Nutrition, Revenue and Finance, Uttar Pradesh; Smt Hema Malini, MP – Mathura; Shri Karinda Singh, MLA – Govardhan, Shri Shyam Sunder Sharma, MLA – Mant; Shri Pooran Prakash, MLA – Baldev, and Shri Mukesh Arya Bandhu, Mayor – Mathura Vrindavan Nagar Nigam. Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa – Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation; Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa – Vice-Chairman, Shri Mohandas Pai – Independent Trustee, other trustees and officials of Akshaya Patra were present at the occasion. The event was also attended by prominent personalities from the corporate sector and other esteemed organisations who have been supporters and well-wishers of the Foundation including parents of beneficiaries and teachers of beneficiary schools.

Shri Narendra Modi unveiled the ceremonial plague to mark the serving of the 3 billionth meal. Addressing the gathering and appreciating Akshaya Patra’s work, Shri Modi said, “Donation given as a sense of responsibility without the thought of doing a favour, at the right place, at the right time and to deserving people is called ‘satttvik daan’. By providing nutritious meals to children of the nation for the last 18 years, Akshaya Patra is doing this ‘sattvic daan’. For this, I extend my best wishes to all of you associated with the Foundation. Your work is extraordinary, your service is extraordinary; it is an example of incredible dedication. Everyone involved with Akshaya Patra, right from the cooks to the ones who deliver and serve food to the children are helping the nation.” He further said, “Good nutrition and healthy childhood is the foundation of New India. By providing food regularly to children, dedicated workers like you are creating a strong foundation for the country. I congratulate your endeavour and effort; this effort is the best example of the ‘I to We’ journey; this is an example of self to selflessness.”

He later tweeted:

Shri Modi had earlier mentioned about Akshaya Patra on 24 October 2018, during the launch of ‘Self4Society’ App in New Delhi. He said, “Akshaya Patra is a social start-up, which has turned into a movement that provides food to school children”.

Watch the commemoration event of the 3 billionth meal.

Akshaya Patra’s journey

Akshaya Patra began its journey in the year 2000 by feeding just 1,500 children in five Government schools in Bengaluru. Today, it provides daily school meals to more than 1.76 million children across 12 states of India. The Foundation expresses its wholehearted gratitude to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, State Governments, donors, and supporters for their steadfast support during these 18 years. It is this support that helped Akshaya Patra to serve 3 billion meals. Below is the snapshot of Akshaya Patra’s milestones:

Join Akshaya Patra’s journey

Akshaya Patra invites each and every one to join the ‘feed the children’ movement. These children are the future flagbearers of the nation. Let’s together take India from a ‘developing nation’ to a ‘developed nation’. Be a part of this transformation and your contribution will create a healthy, educated, and prosperous ‘New India’.