President Droupadi Murmu serves Akshaya Patra’s 5 billionth meal at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Droupadi Murmu serves Akshaya Patra’s 5 billionth meal, highlighting child nutrition and education at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation marked a milestone of serving 5 billion meals while completing 25 years of service, at an event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi on Tuesday, March 17. President Droupadi Murmu attended the event as the Chief Guest and personally served meals to children and even fed some of them, in a symbolic gesture underscoring the importance of child nutrition and education.

Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan was present as the Guest of Honour, alongside Akshaya Patra’s founders, Madhu Pandit Dasa and Chanchalapathi Dasa. The event brought together government officials, policymakers, philanthropists, and stakeholders, along with students, parents, and teachers from government schools.

The theme of the event, ‘Suposhit and Sushikshit Bharat for Viksit Bharat’, reflected the broader goal of linking nutrition and education to India’s development vision.

Addressing the gathering, President Murmu described the milestone as a remarkable achievement aligned with national educational objectives. She noted that ensuring access to nutritious food and quality education is a shared responsibility involving government institutions, communities, and civil society.

According to the foundation, it currently provides mid-day meals to 2.35 million children across 78 locations in 16 States and 3 Union Territories, with plans to scale up to 3 million children by 2030. In Telangana alone, the organisation serves around 2.5 lakh meals daily through five centralised kitchens.