- NET Web Desk
The Assam government intends to collaborate with the ‘Akshaya Patra Foundation’ for the construction of nine centralized kitchens across the state; an initiative to ensure delivery of nutritious meals for the students.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Akshaya Patra Foundation’s ’65th centralized kitchen’ on Friday, the Assam Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma noted that the state administration will provide financial assistance to a similar kitchen, which is to be installed at Majuli.
He also lauded the work being done by the organization in providing nutritious meals to lakhs of students.
Constructed at Rs 14 crores, the kitchen can serve mid-day meals to 12,000 students from 157 schools at the initial stage. Subsequently, nearly 30,000 students will be benefitted from it.
Sarma asserted that the state administration will lend Rs 14 crores to the Foundation for the construction of a kitchen in Majuli.
The CM announced that the education department will enter into an understanding with the foundation for constructing nine such kitchens across nine locations in the state.
Around 10 lakh students across the state will be brought under the nutritious mid-day meal service of the Foundation in the near future.
In order to strengthen the education sector, Sarma also dwelt on the efforts undertaken by the state government.
It has been agreed to utilize English as the primary language of instruction to teach Mathematics and Science, commencing from Class-3 in all Assam-based public schools; thereby ensuring assistance to pupils in performing better on the entrance exams under engineering and medical programmes.
Social Studies will be taught separately as Geography and History for a more detailed understanding of the topics; further added the CM.
He also said that after studying the feasibility of infrastructure, measures will be undertaken to introduce English as the medium of instruction along with the existing Assamese and vernacular languages in government schools.