"A global power can thrive only if its citizen are empowered and productive — we do have a major challenge in this area."
Posted on August 19th, 2010
Dear Friends,
India today is a 1.2 trillion dollar economy and has increasingly been recognized as a major global power. A global power can thrive only if its citizen are empowered and productive we do have a major challenge in this are. Over 700 million people live a subsistence existence and need to buy fully empowered economically politically and socially, to realize their full potential.
India has the youngest population in the world and it hoped that a young productive population will drive this growth to make sure that all the Indians prosper. However, before this can happen, we need to make sure that every child is well nourished, educated and enabled to become productive.
Today, about 44% of our children in the age group of 0-5 years are malnourished, about 50% never complete class X and only 12.4% of them go to college.
Akshaya Patra is a programme to tackle this challenge. Today we provide a hot, unlimited mid-day meal to 1.2 million children in 8 states of India. This massive programme has improved the health of the children, reduced malnutrition, increased attendance in schools, reduced he dropout rate, increased enrollment of the girls child and improved overall scholastic achievement.
Akshaya Patra works with the Union and State Government in the ventures as a Public-Private partnership. We believe that this is fundamental investment in reducing huger will change the context for India’s children.
We have been able to scale up operations due to the untiring efforts of the devotees of ISKCON-Bangalore, who untiringly make sure that food is delivered to all the children every day.
The staff and workers from the Foundation, our well wishers, donors, Trustees and Advisory Board Members the Union And State Government. Our political leaders and concerned citizens are all to thank for this phenomenal growth.
In our annul report we present to you our journey in serving the cause of India’s children and seek your help to scale up our efforts further and make sure that every child in India is well nourished, well nourished, well educated and fully empowered to realize his/her potential !
Awards Received By Madhu Pandit dasa
• Navakankaratna ratha samarpana samaharambha award received by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• Prasamsa patra received by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• Social Enterprise of the year award received by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• The Tech (Microsoft education Award In the year 2009) Award Received by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• Presented to Madhu Pandit with reverence in appreciation of his inimitable contribution to society.
• National child health award 2009 received by Madhu Pandit.
• Bangalore WEST LION EYE Hospital award Presented to Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• Sri Krishna Rama Prasad UDUPI Award received by Madhu Pandit.
• Plaque Of Honor Presented to ISKCON Bangalore In Deep Appreciation of Their commitment towards the Akshaya Patra Mid-Day Meals Programme at I.G.I.A For the year 2001 to 2002 – ROTARY BANGALORE BRIGADES.
• Suryadatta Lifetime Achievement award Presented to Sri Madhu Pandit, Chairman-Akshaya Patra Foundation.
• LIONS Club of Bangalore West Award in the year 1973 – 1998 (Silver Jubilee Year) Presented to Sri Madhu Pandit, President of Iskcon Bangalore.
• Rotary International District 3190 – Excellence in Community Service Award Presented to Swami Madhu Pandit Dasa.
• Suryadatta Lifetime achievement award 2010 received by Madhu Pandit, Chairmen of Akshaya Patra, Bangalore.
Sri Salman Khurshid, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs during his visit to ISKCON – Bangalore and the Akshaya Patra Facility, being received by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa.
Akshaya Patra presents social development arena to Shri Salman Khurshid
Successful NGO’s from across the state presented their case studies and pan India achievements.
Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest NGO run school meal programme today conceptualized and gave a platform to the social development sector to share their achievements and case studies with Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Sri Salman Khurshid.
The event garnered a good response as nine successful NGO’s participated and interacted about their programme in the social development arena. The primary focus of the event was to inform the Minister of the impact of their social programme.
The Minister was impressed with the work done by various development organizations and has invitedthem to look into the possibility of replicating the same in his constituency Farukabadh, Uttar Pradesh.
Sri Khurshid has extended a special invitation to The Akshaya Patra Foundation to establish a kitchenand to cater to the school meal programme to the children of the district.
It may be remembered that a few years ago Rahul Gandhi, Secretary, National Youth Congress had visited Akshaya Patra and hadexplored the possibility of extending the programme to different cities in Uttar Pradesh.
The organizations that participated were Azim Premji Foundation, India Skills—a Manipal Education-City& Guilds Initiative, Parikrama Foundation, EduMedia India Pvt. Ltd, Manipal K-12 Education Pvt. Ltd, Tally Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Arghyam, Sanjeevani and Avesthagen Limited.
Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman, Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “We are very happy to facilitate this platform for these developmental organizations to interact with Honorable Minister Khurshid.
We are committed to all round development of the nation and believe that together we can achieve a better India.”
Sri Gavisiddheshwara Jatra Mahotsava 2010
Sri Gavi Math, at the foot of a hill on the east of Koppal, North Karnataka, has a history of onethousand years. At the annual Rathotsava this year, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa (President ISKCON Bangalore) was one of the chief guests. The chariot festival was attended by thousands of devotees from around the state.
Ratha Yatra in Mangalore
The citizens of Mangalore were blessed with the darshana of Their Lordships Sri Sri Krishna Balarama, riding Their chariot during the annual Ratha Yatrain mid January 2010. The inauguration of the Ratha Yatra was held at the A B Shetty Hall by Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, southregional chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in the presence of Ajith Kumar Rai Malady, President of the Federation of World Bunts’Association and Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON Bangalore.
The chariot was drawn by the devotees on the streets of the city, begining at the Bunts Hostel Circle. A total of 18,000 packets of prasadam sweet and puliogare were distributed to the devotees during the occasion.
Ratha Yatra in Bangalore
Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON-Bangalore, at the inauguration. for reference visit photo gallery.
Udupi: Inauguration of Nava Kanaka Ratna chariot
Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON – Bangalore in Udupi during the ceremony of the inauguration of Nava
Kanaka Ratna chariot of Sri Krishna (seen in the background with the vigraha of Udupi Sri Krishna) on Dec 26, 2009.
simply mesmerised and inspired!!!!!!!!
A true follower of srila prabhupada ji ,setting perfect example for the whole of iskcon ,perhaps the gbc ,should humbly take lessons from sri madhu pandit and iskcon bangalore ,by which the whole of iskcon’s name will be reinstated .jai srila prabhupada, jai bangalore devotees .