President Droupadi Murmu Serves Akshaya Patra’s 5 Billionth Meal

  New Delhi: The Akshaya Patra Foundation commemorated the milestone of serving 5 billion meals and its completion of 25 years of service to humanity at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu graced the event as the Chief Guest, and the Hon’ble Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, was the Guest of Honour. The event was held in the august presence of Akshaya Patra’s founders - Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman and President of ISKCON Bangalore, and Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman and Sr. Vice President. The theme of the event – ‘Suposhit and Sushikshit Bharat for Viksit Bharat’ highlighted the collective efforts towards child nutrition and education for a developed India. The event was attended by Akshaya Patra’s Board of Trustees, senior government officials, distinguished leaders, public policy think tanks, philanthropists, partners, supporters and key stakeholders. Some of the past beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra, students, parents, teachers and staff from government schools were also present. The Hon’ble President gave gifts, served meals and in a heartfelt gesture, personally fed the children with her own hands. Currently in Telangana, Akshaya Patra is feeding 2.5 lakh meals daily through 5 centralised kitchens, and Akshaya Patra Founder and Chairman Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, and Telangana President Shri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa were present during the celebrations along with the Hon’ble President of India.

As an implementing partner of the Government of India’s flagship PM POSHAN initiative, Akshaya Patra has been serving fresh, nutritious meals to millions of children studying in government schools across India. The Foundation is currently feeding 2.35 million children through its state-of-the-art kitchens in 78 locations across 16 States and 3 Union Territories of India, and aspires to feed 3 million children every day by 2030. Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu said, “Serving five billion meals in advancement of educational objectives is the remarkable achievement of The Akshaya Patra Foundation. The theme of this event, ‘From a Well-Nourished and WellEducated India to a Developed India’, underscores the significance of a nourished and educated society in realizing our national resolve to build ‘Viksit Bharat’ by the year 2047.

A safe and bright future for our children is not solely the responsibility of the government, but a shared responsibility of us all. When teachers, parents, social organizations, the corporate sector, and every segment of society work together, then we lay a strong foundation for the coming generation. We must ensure that every child receives quality education, nutritious food, good health, and a clean and safe environment. These fundamentals enable holistic development of children. Education is the instrument that determines the opportunities available in an individual's life and paves the way for their success. It serves as an effective medium for transformation and empowerment. The process of empowerment and capacity-building begins to take shape from the very moment children start attending school. School equips children with the skills and experiences necessary to effectively navigate the challenges of daily life and to become responsible, conscientious citizens. She commended Akshaya Patra Foundation for working continuously to address the issue of malnutrition among children and encourage them to pursue education by delivering mid-day meals to schools for past 25 years. It is essential that our children, who are the future of the nation, have ready access to nutritious food and quality education. The Government of India has launched numerous significant initiatives aimed at providing adequate nutrition and improved healthcare services to pregnant mothers and children. The school lunch program, implemented under PM POSHAN, has proven to be a significant incentive for parents to send their children to school. Numerous studies substantiate that, as a result of this program, there has been an increase in children's enrolment, attendance, and retention in schools. Also there has been a remarkable improvement in their learning capabilities and academic performance. She was happy to note that Akshaya Patra Foundation is playing an important role in furthering the objectives of ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan,’ which aims to ensure quality and inclusive education for all children by the year 2030.

Children are not merely beneficiaries of the free meal program. They are the architects of the nation's bright future. The nutritious food they receive today is an investment in our nation's human capital. The healthy, educated and energetic children will constitute India's workforce and play a pivotal role in achieving ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.” Hon’ble Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said, “I offer my respects to Srila Prabhupada, whose inspiration gave rise to this selfless food distribution initiative, which has now grown into a mass movement. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa ji and Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa ji, whose vision laid the foundation of the Akshaya Patra movement. The journey of 25 years has not been easy, yet your resolve has remained unwavering. Today, one of the greatest beneficiaries of this Jan Andolan is India’s education sector. Across 16 states and over 25,000

schools, you are providing nutritious meals to 2.35 million children every day. For this, I express my deep appreciation. Unless our children and youth are well-nourished, India cannot fully realise its potential. Today, India’s development is not confined to its geographical boundaries. India also carries a

responsibility towards the Global South and the welfare of humanity. This is the essence of our belief in the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The Akshaya Patra Foundation has emerged as a key implementation partner of the PM POSHAN scheme. Through its commitment to quality, hygiene and innovation, it has further strengthened this mission. This partnership stands as a shining example of how government, society, and institutions can work together to address some of the nation's most complex challenges.

Nutritious food reaching every child in the country is not just a service but a resolution for the future. This is our responsibility towards the youth of the country. Viksit Bharat by 2047 will only be possible when every child in the country is well-fed and every child stays in school. Let us all together ensure that our vision and resolve reach every child in the country and become the foundation and existence of a Developed India.” Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble President for kindly gracing today’s event. I also thank the Hon’ble Minister of Education and all other dignitaries for their presence. As we commemorate Akshaya Patra’s 25 years of service to humanity and the milestone of serving 5 billion meals, we reiterate our commitment to work towards Srila Prabhupada’s noble vision that no one should ever go hungry. This event has encouraged everyone at Akshaya Patra to continue our services to children with even greater enthusiasm.

Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the flagship PM POSHAN initiative has made great progress in improving the nutritional status of children and encouraging them to attend school regularly. As India steadily advances toward the vision of Viksit Bharat, these milestones highlight our continued commitment to strengthening school nutrition programmes and expanding our reach to support more children across the country. The cherished ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or the idea that the whole world is one family, is the foundational principle of our nation-civilisation. Hence, we have also extended our feeding mission to geographies outside India. With the transformative power of collective compassion of human society, we will surely be able to contribute to building a happier and healthier future for our next generations.”

Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa said, “It is a joyous occasion for Akshaya Patra as we have reached a significant milestone of serving 5 billion cumulative meals in our 25-year journey. We thank all our guests for taking time out of their schedules to participate in today’s event. We are deeply grateful to the Government of India and various State and Union Territories Governments for their constant support and encouragement in all our endeavours. We thank our donors, partners and well-wishers for joining us in our humble efforts to ensure child nutrition and education through freshly cooked, wholesome meals. On this occasion, we express our heartfelt appreciation to all the dedicated full-time missionaries and professionals of Akshaya Patra who have been working tirelessly every day for the welfare of society. We are confident that Akshaya Patra’s successful public-private partnership will help more children gain easy access to nutrition and education, enabling them to contribute to a New and Developed India in the coming years." Akshaya Patra’s journey to 5 billion Meals

Akshaya Patra was established 25 years ago with the objective that no child in India should be deprived of education because of hunger. The Foundation commenced its feeding operations in Bengaluru and partnered with the Government of Karnataka to implement its pivotal Akshara Dasoha mid-day meal scheme and established kitchens in other locations of the state. With the support of various stakeholders, Akshaya Patra gradually expanded its services to other states and union territories in India and became recognised as the world’s

largest NGO-run school lunch program. Akshaya Patra achieved its first milestone of serving 1 billion meals cumulatively in just a span of 12 years. In 2012, the 1 billionth meal was served by Shri Narayana Murthy, Founder of Infosys and philanthropist. Former President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, served the 2 billionth meal in 2016 at ISKCON Bangalore. In 2019, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, served the 3 billionth meal in Vrindavan. Five years later, in 2024, Akshaya

Patra commemorated serving 4 billion meals at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 5 billionth meal was served by the Hon’ble President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan today