Bhubaneswar, Apr 1: With an aim to meet the nutritional needs and provide a balanced diet to school children across the state, Odisha government on Tuesday launched the distribution of Mandia (millet) Ladoos for all students and mid-day meals for students of Classes 9 and 10.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond launched the initiative today at Government Girls' High School and Swami Vivekananda High School in Umarkote area of Nabarangpur district.
During the launch, Gond personally distributed millet Ladoos to students from Class 1 to Class 10 and participated in a mid-day meal with them.
The Minister also had food with the students and engaged in discussions about their school experiences and eating habits. The interaction was designed to raise awareness about the importance of nutritious food for a healthy and active lifestyle.
It is worth mentioning that the highly nutritional finger millet (Mandia) ladoos will be provided to all school students three times a week. The move aims to improve the health and cognitive abilities of children, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
Notably, the mid-day meal (MDM) was only available to students up to Class 8. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi extended the program by including students of Classes 9 and 10 recently.
The initiative is set to benefit approximately 10.8 lakh students across the state, greatly enhancing their health and educational outcomes.
