There are moments in life when you come across a mission so pure, so purposeful, and so aligned with the very soul of India that you cannot help but be humbled by it. For me, one such moment was when I witnessed the work of the Akshaya Patra Foundation and their unwavering commitment to their mission: “Nourished India, Educated India.”
This is not just a slogan. It is not another charity tagline designed to tick boxes in CSR reports. It is a call to the conscience of a nation that claims to be the world’s largest democracy, the fastest-growing economy, and a global powerhouse in waiting. But what good are these accolades if our children—our very future—go to school on empty stomachs, robbed of the energy to study, to play, to dream?
India can build the tallest skyscrapers, send rockets to Mars, and build highways that cut through mountains. But if a child in this country still sits in a classroom distracted by hunger instead of learning, then we have failed in the most fundamental duty of a society: to protect and nurture its young.
Children Are Blessings, Not Burdens
In India, we often call children “blessings from God.” We say it at family gatherings, in temples, in churches, in mosques. Yet, how many of us live by those words? A blessing is not something you ignore or take for granted. A blessing is something you nurture, cherish, and protect.
And make no mistake—India is blessed. More than 250 million children call this country home. That is not a burden. That is not a liability. That is the greatest demographic opportunity any nation on earth could ask for. If we invest in them—body, mind, and spirit—we will not just have a stronger India; we will have an India that leads with humanity, compassion, and vision.
But here lies the harsh reality: too many children are still deprived of nutritious meals. Hunger eats away at their potential long before poverty eats away at their opportunities. Malnourished children cannot concentrate, cannot study, and cannot thrive. In this equation, education and nutrition are not separate issues—they are interdependent. A hungry child cannot learn. A nourished child can conquer the world.
In October 2021, government data from the Women and Child Development Ministry, using the Poshan Tracker across 34 States and Union Territories, showed that over 33.23 lakh (i.e. about 3.3 million) children in India were acutely malnourished. Of these, 17,76,902 (1.78 million) were suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and 15,46,420 (1.55 million) had moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). This meant more than half of the malnourished children were in the severe category, a deeply worrying sign.
A more recent assessment from the UN / WHO / World Bank-joint estimates reveals that India has one of the highest rates of wasting among children under five in the world: 18.7 per cent of these children are wasted (i.e. too thin for their height). At the same time, the stunting rate (low height-for-age, a sign of chronic under-nutrition) remains high: about 31.7 per cent of children under five are stunted in 2022. These numbers underscore that both immediate/middle-term hunger (wasting) and long-term nutritional deficits (stunting) are still widespread among India’s young, with serious implications for health, learning ability, immunity and future productivity
Akshaya Patra: The Living Example of Nation-Building
The Akshaya Patra Foundation has taken upon itself a mission that should have been the foremost priority of any government, any society, any citizenry: ensuring that no child in India goes to school hungry.
With one of the world’s largest school meal programmes, Akshaya Patra serves wholesome, nutritious meals to millions of children every day. Think about the scale for a moment. It is not just about providing food—it is about providing dignity, hope, and opportunity. It is about telling a child: You matter. Your future matters. Your dreams matter.
The genius of Akshaya Patra lies not just in logistics or scale but in vision. They understand that food is not just about filling the stomach—it is about nourishing the mind and the spirit. A well-fed child is a child who can listen in class, who can play with energy, who can dream with clarity.
The Duty of Elders in Society
Here is where I must hold a mirror to all of us—the so-called “elders” of society. We like to sit in air-conditioned rooms debating GDP, politics, and global power equations. But how many of us ask: “Did the children in my community eat today?”
We cannot afford to push this responsibility onto NGOs alone. Akshaya Patra is showing us the way, but this is not their fight alone. This is India’s fight. This is society’s fight. Every elder, every parent, every leader has a sacred duty to ensure that the children of India are fed, educated, and nurtured.
Because let us be clear: a child deprived of food today will grow into a citizen deprived of opportunity tomorrow. And a nation of deprived citizens cannot build a prosperous future.
Food as a Spiritual Duty
In India, feeding someone has always been considered one of the highest forms of seva—service to God. Our traditions are rich with the philosophy that “Annam Brahma”—food itself is divine. When you feed a child, you are not just giving them calories. You are participating in the divine act of sustaining life, of honoring creation.
So when Akshaya Patra speaks of “nutritious food for physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment,” it is not an empty phrase. It is rooted in the ethos of this land. Food builds bodies, yes. But food also builds character, resilience, and the ability to dream.
The Akshaya Patra story should inspire us—but it should also shake us into action. Inspiration without action is just comfort. India does not need comfort. India needs commitment.
Here is the truth: if every capable Indian contributed even a small fraction of their income, no child in India would ever go hungry. If every business leader prioritized nourishment over vanity projects, we could solve the hunger crisis in a generation. If every policymaker treated nutrition and education not as welfare schemes but as nation-building imperatives, India would truly become unstoppable.
Let us stop asking, “What will the government do?” and start asking, “What will I do?” Because real change never comes from policies alone. It comes from people.
A Nation That Must Not Fail Its Children
India today stands at the crossroads of history. The world is watching us. Our economy is rising, our influence expanding. But none of it will matter if we fail our children. A malnourished child is not just a social tragedy—it is a national shame.
Every time we allow a child to sit in a classroom on an empty stomach, we are betraying the very idea of India. And every time we ensure a child receives a hot, nutritious meal, we are building the India of our dreams—strong, compassionate, and unbreakable.
The India We Must Build
Akshaya Patra has shown us what is possible. They have demonstrated that vision plus action equals transformation. Now it is our turn to rise to the occasion.
We must, as a nation, embrace the mission of “Nourished India, Educated India” as not just Akshaya Patra’s vision but as India’s collective responsibility. Let us treat every child as a blessing. Let us feed them, educate them, and empower them. Let us be the elders who did not fail in their duty.
Because the measure of a nation is not in its skyscrapers, GDP figures, or military might. The true measure of a nation is in the eyes of its children. And when those eyes shine with health, hope, and hunger for knowledge, we will know that India has truly arrived.
