Millet malt for govt schoolchildren: Good nutrition leads to good education, says CM

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday highlighted the importance of mental and physical health and said that good nutrition leads to good education after the state government announced to distribute millet malt to 55 lakh government schoolchildren.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the SaiSure Ragi Health Mix distribution programme held at the banquet hall in Vidhana Soudha.

CM Siddaramaiah said, “Milk production increased during our government’s tenure in 2013. This additional milk sales and milk byproducts was produced in excess. Therefore, the government immediately started the Ksheera Bhagya scheme to provide milk to schoolchildren five days a week. The government has started distributing millet malt for the mental and physical health of 55 lakh government school children. Milk goes to children through the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). This milk money is given by the government to KMF. Thus, we decided to help the farmers who supply milk to KMF. In the last budget, we started a programme of providing eggs to schoolchildren twice a week”.

ವಿಧಾನಸೌಧದ ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ವೆಟ್ ಹಾಲ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ 2023-24ನೇ ಶೈಕ್ಷಣಿಕ ವರ್ಷದಿಂದ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅನುದಾನಿತ ಶಾಲಾ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಬಹುಪೌಷ್ಠಿಕಾಂಶವುಳ್ಳ ಸಾಯಿ ಶ್ಯೂರ್ ರಾಗಿ ಮಾಲ್ಟ್ ಹೆಲ್ತ್ ಮಿಕ್ಸ್ ವಿತರಿಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದೆ.

55 ಲಕ್ಷ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಶಾಲೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಮಾನಸಿಕ ದೈಹಿಕ ಆರೋಗ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ರಾಗಿ… pic.twitter.com/e30NAPtgLu

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 22, 2024

CM Siddaramaiah said that the programme of providing the most nutritious millet malt has started and this improves the mental and physical health of children. “Children should not be anaemic. Only when there is no nutritional deficiency will children be mentally strong and more agile in studies. Children must get quality education. Like the children of the rich, the children of the poor, labourers, Dalits and shudras should also get a good education”, he said.

It is children who shape the future of the country and society, he said quoting Buddha, Basava and Ambedkar. “Self-esteem can be increased only through education. The development of knowledge is possible through education. Education is not just teaching, reading and writing. A rational education that responds to the problems of the society is necessary. Even highly educated doctors and engineers have now fallen prey to superstition. Basavadi Sharanas worked hard to build a superstition-less society”, he further said.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, Primary  Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa and officers were present. SaiSure Ragi Malt Health Mix will be distributed to all government and aided school children in the state from the academic year 2023-24. (ANI)