Released on: June 25, 2008, 11:26 pm

Press Release Author: Veena D Souza

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: Akshaya Patra Foundation along with Delhi Government
inaugurated another centre (sixth) of "Aap ki Rasoi" recently.

Press Release Body: Bangalore, India: Akshaya Patra Foundation along with Delhi
Government inaugurated another centre (sixth) of "Aap ki Rasoi" recently. It is the
hunger free program being run by the Delhi Government jointly with the Akshaya Patra
Foundation, which currently operates the world's largest mid day meal program across
six states. The Hunger Free Campaign program is an innovative initiative under the
Bhagidari scheme of the Delhi Government which intends to ensure at least one full
time meal to the homeless and the destitute. Akshaya Patra's expertise in providing
healthy and hygienic food over the last eight years to over 8.50 lakh children will
come very handy in their ability to feed the underprivileged and hungry in India's
capital.

The ambitious scheme has taken off with a number of centres already functional and
serving their purpose. It is acting as the nodal agency to bring in a series of
corporate companies, NGOs and institutions like Reliance, Guru Govind Singh
Hospital, the Taj Hotels, Haldiram, Batra Hopsitals, to name a few, who have come
forward to lend a hand and funds to take the program to the needy.

The latest centre, at the Night Shelter, Shahdara (near Delhi Jal Board office), GT
Road, is sponsored by the Neotia Foundation. The Hunger Free Campaign began with the
inaugural ceremony by Yoganand Shastri, Welfare Minister, Delhi. Meals were served
to the poor and the needy. Meals, on the regular basis will be provided daily
between 12 noon to 3 pm.

The Bhagidari effort by the New Delhi Government and Akshaya Patra has opened to a
healthy response not just from the target audience of the poor but also from the
corporate world with more and more coming forward to be associated with welfare
initiative. With Akshaya Patra Foundation playing a positive role, the Government is
eliciting a favorable response to adopt many sites for similar purpose.

Akshaya Patra's Suvyekta Narasimhan Das, Project-in-Charge for the Hunger Free
Campaign believed that a good beginning has been made in Delhi but there is a long
road ahead. "We are here to play a role of the catalyst and so far the response has
been welcome, be it from the private sector, NGOs, hospitals and other institutions,
"he said.

MORE ABOUT AKSHAYA PATRA
Unlimited Food for Education

(NATIONAL LEVEL SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMME)

According to a UNESCO report, around 13.5 million children in the age group of 6-13
years are out of school in India. Despite the trillion-dollar economic growth, a
large chunk of India's younger generation does not have access to schools because of
poverty and malnutrition.

To facilitate the education of needy children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation,
provides unlimited noon meals in schools in partnership with the Central and
respective state governments of India. Currently the program is feeding around 8.5
lakh children in over 4,500 government, government aided schools and anganwadis (day
care centers) in 14 locations across India on any given day.

They are Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Bellary, Mangalore and Mysore in Karnataka,
Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh, Jaipur, Nathdwara and Baran in Rajasthan, Vrindavan in
Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Puri in Orissa. This is the
largest NGO run school meal program in the world.

What makes Akshaya Patra unique?

¨ The Akshaya Patra program uses centralized, automated kitchens for cooking
food which is then distributed to schools through special purpose vehicles.

¨ Akshaya Patra's kitchens can cook about 100,000 meals in less than five hours
with least human intervention and sustained quality.

¨ A three item menu is served to children as per the recommendations
ofqualified nutritionists.

¨ Due to extensive mechanization of the kitchen, the program is able to offer
children standardized, high quality, hygienic meals.

¨ The program also offers education and health interventions for holistic child
development.

¨ Akshaya Patra is a secular, not-for-profit program implemented only in
government schools where there is no discrimination whatsoever.

¨ The program is independently governed by a Board of Trustees & audited by KPMG.

¨ A study in the year 2006 by AC Nielsen Org Marg Pvt Ltd, has vouchsafed for
the efficacy of the program in increasing attendance and enrolment in schools,
improving nutritional status of these children, enhancing their learning abilities
and reducing drop out rates.

¨ Akshaya Patra program is run with part subsidies from the government, besides
financial support from corporates and individual philanthropists.

¨ All contributions to The Akshaya Patra Foundation are eligible for 100% tax
deduction under section 35AC/80GGA (bb) of the Income Tax Act1961 in India.

¨ With a vision to ensure that no child in India is deprived of education
because of hunger, the Akshaya Patra Foundation is striving to end hunger and create
a human resources pool that will propel India into the league of developed nations.



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