September would be celebrated as nutrition month and schools should not only have report cards, but also nutrition cards and nutrition monitors along with class monitors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio broadcast, the prime minister also asked teachers to involve students in uncovering the stories of the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom struggle. The country would soon celebrate 75 years of independence, he noted.
Referring to the importance of nutrition, he said that it had played a key role in building the nation.
“September will be celebrated across the country as Nutrition Month,” Modi said. Citizen participation is important in this campaign towards nutrition, said the prime minister, adding that an attempt is being made to spread their awareness.
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“The schools are involved. There should be a nutrition monitor just like there is a classroom monitor. There should be a nutrition card along with the report card. These initiatives are in process, ”he said.
Modi said that a Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh was being developed to provide information on food produced in all districts of the country.
The prime minister also mentioned that the country would soon celebrate 75 years of independence. He said that students should be aware of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters. School students could participate in the dissemination of information about the anonymous heroes of Independence and this should be the central theme of this year’s Teacher’s Day program on September 5, he added.
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The prime minister noted that this time of year is usually festive, but the situation is different this year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). He said there has been unprecedented restraint and simplicity at this year’s festivals. He said that many Indian festivals celebrate nature and cited the Tharu tribe of Bihar as his worshiper and also Onam, a harvest festival, in Kerala.
Modi praised the farmers because the planting of kharif crops had seen a rebound, compared to last year, despite the Covid-19 outbreak.
The prime minister said he had held talks with various ministries about how students and children should spend their time during the nationwide lockdown restrictions that have been in place since March 25 for 68 days in an attempt to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
He urged India to emerge as a center for the production of toys. The global toy industry exceeds Rs 7 million lakh, but the nation’s share is negligible and India would have to increase it, Modi said. Some areas are developing as toy groups, he said. The best toys are those that encourage children’s creativity, he said. He suggested new companies to produce local toys.
“The sown seed should become a great tree through the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission,” Modi said.
The prime minister also stressed the advances in the gaming industry. Currently, most games are based on foreign themes. Making games in India and also about India, he said. Small startups would grow into large global companies over time, Modi said. He said an application (app) innovation challenge had received a great response.
He also highlighted the role played by two dogs of the Indian army, Sofi and Vida, who were celebrated for protecting the country. He said that Indian breed dogs were being included in the Indian armed forces and urged the public to adopt them as pets.
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