- Nutrition gardens, invitation meals, and tree planting provided practical education for children; fresh vegetables will be included in midday meals.
Surajpur district took a remarkable initiative on Bagless Day towards making schools in Chhattisgarh a centre of nutrition, environmental protection and community participation along with education.
Nearly 500 primary and secondary schools in the district simultaneously organized the creation of nutrition gardens, invitation meals, distribution of supplementary nutrition, and the “One Tree for Mother” campaign. Students, teachers, parents, panchayat representatives, and villagers enthusiastically participated in this innovative initiative.
Under the guidance of Collector Mrs. Rena Jamil, various seasonal vegetables, including radish, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, and ridge gourd, were planted on school campuses. The fresh vegetables grown in these nutrition gardens will be used in midday meals under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana. This will not only provide children with nutritious food but will also develop a practical understanding of natural farming, organic agriculture, and nutrition.
On the occasion of Bagless Day, “Nyota Bhojan” (invitation meals) were organized in many schools, where local citizens and social workers provided fruits, sweets, and nutritious food for the children. Meanwhile, under the “One Tree for Mother” campaign, a message of environmental protection was spread through tree planting and a pledge was taken to care for the plants.
District Education Officer, Mrs. Lata Beck, said that Bagless Day is not just a day away from books, but an effective means of teaching children life skills, community cooperation, respect for labor, and a connection to nature. This innovation in Surajpur is also becoming an inspiration for other districts in the state as a coordinated model of education, nutrition, and public participation.
