MID DAY MEAL:-     Looking out of a window, one day in Mayapur, a village near Calcutta, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada saw a group of children fighting with stray dogs over scraps of food. From this simple, yet heart-breaking incident was born a determination that no child within a radius of ten miles from our centre should go hungry.

His inspiring resolve sowed the seeds of The Akshaya Patra Foundation. With the vision: "No child in India shall be deprived of education because of Hunger" Akshaya Patra started the Mid-Day Meal Programme in June 2000 by serving mid-day meals to 1,500 children across five government schools in Bengaluru, Karnataka. A humble beginning, yet, the initial days of implementing the programme was not a smooth sail. Soon came the helping hands of Mohandas Pai, who took the initiative of donating the first vehicle to transport food to the schools; and Abhay Jain, who promised to bring in more donors to contribute for the further expansion of the programme.

           In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments, as well as philanthropic donors; the organisation is running the world’s largest Mid-Day Meal Programme. Built on a Public-Private Partnership model, Akshaya Patra combines good management, innovative technology, and smart engineering to deliver nutritious and hygienic school lunch on every school day.