By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: In the latest address of Mann ki Baat, the Prime Minister noted that the month of September will be observed as Poshan Maah – Nutrition month. He said that nation and nutrition are very closely interrelated. He recalled the maxim – “Yatha Annam Tatha Mannam,” which means that mental and intellectual development is directly related to the quality of our food intake. He said that nutrition and proper nourishment play a big role in helping children and students to attain their optimum potential and to show their mettle.He stressed that for children to be well nourished, the mother needs to receive proper nourishment. He added that nutrition merely does not only imply eating but getting essential nutrients like salts, vitamins etc.
Prime Minister noted the efforts made in the country during the past few years especially in villages where public participation in nutrition week and nutrition month is converting nutrition awareness into a mass movement. He added that schools have been integrated into this mass movement with efforts being made to ensure competitions for children to increase nutrition awareness.
Prime Minister said that in a class, just like there is a Class Monitor, there should be a Nutrition Monitor. Similarly, just like a Report card, a Nutrition Card should also be introduced. He informed that during the course of the Nutrition Month, a food and nutrition quiz as well as meme competition will be organized on the My Gov portal. He asked the listeners to participate in it.Prime Minister informed that at the Statue of Unity, a unique kind of nutrition park has also been created where one can witness nutrition related education along with fun and frolic.
Emphasising that India is endowed with a lot of diversity in food and drink, Prime Minister said it is very important that according to the season of a particular region, a well-balanced & nutrient rich, diet plan should be drafted to include local food grains, fruits and the vegetables cultivated there. He informed that an ‘Agricultural Fund of India’ is being created that will have complete information about the crops that are grown in each district and their related nutritional value. Prime Minister asked the listeners to eat nutritious food and stay healthy during the nutrition month.
Modi talked about his deliberations with the Children University of Gandhinagar, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises on how to make new toys available to the children and how India could become a big hub of toy production. He noted that toys not only augment activity, they also give flight to our aspirations. Toys, not only entertain, they also build the mind and foster an intent too, he said.
Prime Minister recalled an anecdote about toys shared by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He emphasized what Gurudev had said about toys – that the best toy is that which is incomplete, a toy that children together complete while playing. Gurudev used to say that toys should be such that they bring out the childhood of a child and also his or her creativity, he said.
Prime Minister noted that in the National Education Policy, a lot of attention has been given on the impact of toys on different aspects of children’s lives. He said there are several skilled artisans who possess expertise in making good toys and some parts of the country like Channapatna in Ramnagaram in Karnataka, Kondaplli in Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, Thanjavur in Tami Nadu, Dhubari in Assam, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh are also developing as Toy clusters. He added that while Global Toy Industry is worth more than 7 lakh crore rupees, India currently has a very little share in it.
Prime Minister praised the work done by Shri C V Raju of Vishakhapatnam, who, by making excellent quality eti-koppakaa toys, has brought back the lost glory of these local toys. He exhorted the entrepreneurs to team up for toys, saying it is the time to get vocal for local toys.
Talking about the trend of computer games, Prime Minister suggested making games based on the ideas and concepts of our history.Modi talked about Sophie and Vida, the dogs of the Indian Army who have been awarded the Chief of Army Staff ‘Commendation Cards’. He said that armed forces and security forces have many such brave dogs who have played a very important role in thwarting numerous bomb blasts and terrorist conspiracies. He gave several other examples helping sniff out ammunition and IED, and also mentioned the Beed Police who recently gave their canine colleague Rocky, who had helped the police in solving over 300 cases, a final farewell with all due respect.
Discussing the Indian breed of dogs, Prime Minister said they cost less to raise and are better adapted to the Indian environment and surroundings and said that our security agencies are also inducting these Indian breed dogs as part of their security squad. Research on the Indian breed dogs is also being done by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research with the aim to make them better and more beneficial, he noted. He exhorted the listeners, who are planning to raise a pet dog, to adopt one of Indian breed.
