Mumbai: 6-day camp to be held to guide civic schools on healthy diet

The state government recently upgraded the midday meal menu. Representation Pic

Pursuing its goal of raising awareness about nutrition and inculcating healthy eating habits among children, the state government has decided to bring in qualified dieticians and nutritionists to guide civic school students and teachers under its ‘Sankalp Sampurna Swasthya' initiative. During a six-day camp, civic school students aged eight to 13 years, and teachers will receive guidance from dietitians.

School education minister and guardian minister of the city, Deepak Kesarkar, will inaugurate the camp on Thursday, November 23, at Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe Natyagruha, Byculla. The camp will begin at 10 am and will continue for the next six days at various BMC schools.

Approximately 600 students and 50 teachers from schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will benefit from the offline camp. All other students, teachers, and parents within BMC's jurisdiction will have access to the training through a YouTube link. The event will also be broadcast live through virtual and digital classrooms in 1,150 schools across 450 BMC school buildings.

Sankalp Sampurna Swasthya programme is a collaboration between the state government's Department of School Education and Department of Health, the BMC, the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI), and the Indian Pediatric Association (IPA). It aims to ensure the well-being of school students aged eight to 13 years and to inculcate healthy eating habits among them.

Ward-wise training

"Following the inauguration, students and teachers in BMC schools will be trained by nutrition experts over the next six days. On November 24, the training will be conducted at Jagannath Shankarsheth School for schools of the A, B, C, D, and E wards. On November 28, civic schools from G North and G South wards will receive training at Bhawani Shankar Road Municipal School. On November 30, schools from F South and F North wards will be trained," said Rajesh Kankal, BMC education officer (secondary).

The camp follows a recent move by the state government to upgrade midday meals across the state. The midday meal (MDM) scheme will provide egg pulao, egg biryani, sweets, vegetables, and fruits to around two crore students across government-run schools. The scheme also has its set of challenges. In October, 16 students from a civic school in Anik Gaon, Chembur, fell ill after eating the midday meal.

An official from the state's school education department told mid-day, "We want to ensure that students choose healthy eating habits. Upgrading the midday meal menu was just one step in this direction. Another important step is to create awareness among them from an early age. This will benefit children and their families, too."

600
No of students in offline training camp