Latest news with #POSHAN
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Education Ministry urges Odisha to ensure mid-day meal quality, coverage verification
BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of Education has asked the state government to inspect schools for checking mid-day meal (MDM) quality and examine MDM coverage in districts that have been consistently claiming very high coverage throughout the academic year. The project approval board (PAB) of PM POSHAN has asked the government to verify coverage of MDM in 8 districts - Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Jajpur, Puri, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar and Kalahandi. In 2024-25 academic session, while the state reported an average of 92 per cent (pc) of MDM coverage against enrolled students in primary and upper-primary grades, Malkangiri, Jajpur, Puri and Mayurbhanj reported 100 pc coverage, Balangir 99 pc, Jagatsinghpur 97 pc and Keonjhar and Kalahandi 96 pc each throughout the year. Following a PAB meeting recently, secretary of department of School Education & Literacy under the ministry, Sanjay Kumar asked to verify the coverage and ascertain the real picture on the ground. From November last year to June this year, both the state and the Centre revised the material cost of MDM thrice. Prior to that, though, school managements had to manipulate students' attendance to meet the MDM costs, sources said. 'Over-reporting of MDM was perhaps the only option to adjust the rising prices of commodities required to cook MDM,' said a primary teacher, requesting anonymity.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Koraput initiative aims to cut maternal healthcare gaps
Koraput: In a bid to plug critical gaps in maternal healthcare, the Koraput district administration recently launched 'Janmashree' — an initiative to ensure timely ultrasound scans and proactive management of high-risk pregnancies (HRPs) in the region. District officials revealed that nearly 90% of pregnant women in the region lack access to ultrasound (USG) services, and over 20% of high-risk cases remain undiagnosed due to systemic gaps. "Janmashree is our attempt to plug these healthcare gaps by institutionalising three mandatory and free USG scans — one during each trimester — for every pregnant woman in the district," said Koraput collector Keerthi Vasan V. He conceptualised the initiative. Since its pilot launch on June 13 at CHCs in Borigumma and Rabanaguda, the initiative has already facilitated 94 ultrasound scans. Janmashree aims to introduce structured monitoring and follow-up protocols across all healthcare levels — from sub-centres to district hospitals. Under this programme, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) are tasked with identifying and registering expectant mothers through the Janmashree app. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invertir en Cervecería Nacional CFD podría proporcionarte un ingreso adicional Empieza a invertir hoy Registro Undo They schedule ultrasound appointments and ensure seamless referrals to nearby diagnostic centres. Post-examination, USG reports are uploaded in real time to facilitate early detection and management of high-risk cases. Additionally, the district has equipped all community health centres (CHCs) with ultrasound machines. Due to a shortage of radiologists and technicians, doctors are being deputed twice a week to these CHCs to conduct USG tests for pregnant women. "We have classified HRP cases into two categories — those arising from geographically isolated locations and those based on medical complications," the collector said. Targeted nutritional support is extended to these women in addition to existing POSHAN schemes, and they are closely monitored until delivery. The initiative also includes transport assistance for pregnant women on the day of their ultrasound appointments. Furthermore, reports and prescriptions are delivered directly to beneficiaries' doorsteps, all in compliance with the PC-PNDT Act. "The goal is not just early diagnosis but to guarantee that no pregnant woman is left without access to essential healthcare services," the collector said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Korea Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Automation Anywhere Collaborates with Akshaya Patra to Power its Mission of Providing 5 million Daily Meals with Smarter AI Logistics
Strategic partnership enables AI-powered automation to enhance operational excellence, streamline donor engagement, and optimise a nationally scaled school meal programme serving millions of children BENGALURU, India, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark collaboration, Automation Anywhere, the leader in Agentic Process Automation (APA), and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, one of India's leading social impact organisations and an implementing partner of the government's flagship PM POSHAN programme are revolutionizing charity operations in India. Leveraging AI-powered automation, donor engagement processes have been streamlined by up to 70%, reducing turnaround times from over 20 hours to just 40 minutes accelerating Akshaya Patra's mission to provide mid–day meals to 5 million children every school day. Currently reaching over 2.35 million children across 25,000 government and government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra has already seen tangible benefits from the partnership. With the support of Automation Anywhere, the Foundation is transforming key operational areas including donor management, route optimisation and supply chain workflows to achieve greater efficiency, transparency, and scalability. These improvements are enabling the organisation's teams to focus on strategic outreach and relationship-building efforts. Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Vinod Sudhakar, Chief Information Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, "At Akshaya Patra, we view technology as an enabler of purposeful transformation. Our collaboration with Automation Anywhere is helping us harness the potential of AI to not only optimise systems but to deepen our service to children across India. With smarter tools, we are driving meaningful impact at scale faster, more efficiently, and more sustainably." "At Automation Anywhere, we believe technology can help amplify social impact," said Neeti Mehta Shukla, Co-Founder & Chief Social Impact Officer. "This collaboration stands as proof that AI-powered automation can fuel meaningful change—helping every rupee go further, every meal reach faster, and every child be nourished better. It's about scaling compassion with precision, and building a stronger, healthier India. We are both privileged and committed to work with a mission driven organization like Akshaya Patra." With phase one yielding substantial outcomes, the partnership is set to advance into AI-driven procurement, enabling direct sourcing from farmers and local millers and the introduction of Agentic-AI led demand-responsive production mechanisms to minimise food waste. Further enhancements in delivery logistics and resource planning are expected to amplify operational resilience as the Foundation expands its reach. Akshaya Patra will also leverage real-time data and AI-powered automation to enhance logistics performance across its fleet of 2,200+ delivery vehicles operating on 1,500+ daily routes—improving route planning, fuel efficiency, and operational visibility. This partnership reflects a shared commitment: leveraging the power of Agentic AI driven automation and data-led innovation to create a hunger-free, educated future for children across the country. About Automation Anywhere A pioneer in Agentic Process Automation, Automation Anywhere empowers organizations to harness the power of AI-driven bots that work alongside employees to automate complex business processes—improving efficiency, accuracy, and real-world impact. Engage with Automation Anywhere Automation Anywhere is a registered trademark/service mark of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other marks referenced are the property of their respective owners. About The Akshaya Patra Foundation The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a social impact organisation committed to addressing classroom hunger and supporting children's health and education. As an implementing partner of the Government of India's PM POSHAN scheme, Akshaya Patra serves 2.35 million mid-day meals to beneficiary children across 25,000+ schools. Additionally, it provides 8 lakh servings under the Morning Nutrition Programme, contributing to improved child health, increased school enrolment, attendance and retention, and better learning outcomes. Akshaya Patra has established a robust operational network, currently functioning in 78 locations across 16 states and 3 union territories. It has set up 76 state-of-the-art centralised kitchens—globally recognised for their scale, efficiency and food safety standards—and adopted the decentralised model in two locations where setting up centralised infrastructure is difficult due to difficult terrain and road connectivity. Akshaya Patra continuously forges partnerships and leverages technology to cater to millions of children and has served over 4 billion meals since 2000. The momentous milestone was commemorated at a special event at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 April 2024.
The Wire
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Wire
Automation Anywhere Collaborates with Akshaya Patra to Power its Mission of Providing 5 million Daily Meals with Smarter AI Logistics
Strategic partnership enables AI-powered automation to enhance operational excellence, streamline donor engagement, and optimise a nationally scaled school meal programme serving millions of children BENGALURU, India, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark collaboration, Automation Anywhere, the leader in Agentic Process Automation (APA), and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, one of India's leading social impact organisations and an implementing partner of the government's flagship PM POSHAN programme are revolutionizing charity operations in India. Leveraging AI-powered automation, donor engagement processes have been streamlined by up to 70%, reducing turnaround times from over 20 hours to just 40 minutes accelerating Akshaya Patra's mission to provide mid–day meals to 5 million children every school day. Currently reaching over 2.35 million children across 25,000 government and government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra has already seen tangible benefits from the partnership. With the support of Automation Anywhere, the Foundation is transforming key operational areas including donor management, route optimisation and supply chain workflows to achieve greater efficiency, transparency, and scalability. These improvements are enabling the organisation's teams to focus on strategic outreach and relationship-building efforts. Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Vinod Sudhakar, Chief Information Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, "At Akshaya Patra, we view technology as an enabler of purposeful transformation. Our collaboration with Automation Anywhere is helping us harness the potential of AI to not only optimise systems but to deepen our service to children across India. With smarter tools, we are driving meaningful impact at scale faster, more efficiently, and more sustainably." "At Automation Anywhere, we believe technology can help amplify social impact," said Neeti Mehta Shukla, Co-Founder & Chief Social Impact Officer . "This collaboration stands as proof that AI-powered automation can fuel meaningful change—helping every rupee go further, every meal reach faster, and every child be nourished better. It's about scaling compassion with precision, and building a stronger, healthier India. We are both privileged and committed to work with a mission driven organization like Akshaya Patra." With phase one yielding substantial outcomes, the partnership is set to advance into AI-driven procurement, enabling direct sourcing from farmers and local millers and the introduction of Agentic-AI led demand-responsive production mechanisms to minimise food waste. Further enhancements in delivery logistics and resource planning are expected to amplify operational resilience as the Foundation expands its reach. Akshaya Patra will also leverage real-time data and AI-powered automation to enhance logistics performance across its fleet of 2,200 delivery vehicles operating on 1,500 daily routes—improving route planning, fuel efficiency, and operational visibility. This partnership reflects a shared commitment: leveraging the power of Agentic AI driven automation and data-led innovation to create a hunger-free, educated future for children across the country. About Automation Anywhere A pioneer in Agentic Process Automation, Automation Anywhere empowers organizations to harness the power of AI-driven bots that work alongside employees to automate complex business processes—improving efficiency, accuracy, and real-world impact. Engage with Automation Anywhere • Webinars • LinkedIn • Threads • Facebook • Instagram Automation Anywhere is a registered trademark/service mark of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other marks referenced are the property of their respective owners. About The Akshaya Patra Foundation The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a social impact organisation committed to addressing classroom hunger and supporting children's health and education. As an implementing partner of the Government of India's PM POSHAN scheme, Akshaya Patra serves 2.35 million mid-day meals to beneficiary children across 25,000 schools. Additionally, it provides 8 lakh servings under the Morning Nutrition Programme, contributing to improved child health, increased school enrolment, attendance and retention, and better learning outcomes. Akshaya Patra has established a robust operational network, currently functioning in 78 locations across 16 states and 3 union territories. It has set up 76 state-of-the-art centralised kitchens—globally recognised for their scale, efficiency and food safety standards—and adopted the decentralised model in two locations where setting up centralised infrastructure is difficult due to difficult terrain and road connectivity. Akshaya Patra continuously forges partnerships and leverages technology to cater to millions of children and has served over 4 billion meals since 2000. The momentous milestone was commemorated at a special event at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 April 2024. For more details, please log on: Logo: (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
India Gazette
24-06-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Over 17,000 nutrition kits distributed in Mandi: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Poshan Abhiyaan
Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 25 (ANI): BJP MP from Mandi and actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut distributed nutrition kits under the Poshan Abhiyaan in Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday. The initiative aims to combat malnutrition and promote healthy dietary practices among women and children. Speaking on the occasion, Kangana Ranaut said, 'This effort is aimed at empowering women by providing essential nutrients. Each kit, designed for three months, contains various types of nutrients, and we have urged everyone to incorporate them into their daily diet. Over 17,000 kits are being distributed here.' Highlighting the issue of malnutrition, she added, 'Malnutrition remains a significant challenge, primarily due to a lack of awareness.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the unique initiative, POSHAN Abhiyaan (erstwhile National Nutrition Mission), on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, 2018, from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. The POSHAN (Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan directs the country's attention towards the problem of malnutrition and aims to address it in a mission-mode. POSHAN Abhiyaan is India's flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. This ambitious program aims to combat malnutrition with a specific focus on reducing the alarming prevalence of stunting among young children aged 0 to 6 years. The goal is to decrease the current stunting rate of 38.4 per cent to a more acceptable 25 per cent by the year 2022, ensuring a healthier future for the nation's youngest and most at-risk populations. The POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to improve the nutritional status of children aged 0 to 6 years, as well as pregnant women and lactating mothers, within a specified timeframe. Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who registered her first victory on a BJP ticket from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, took oath as a member of Parliament in 2024. She defeated Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)
