Drumstick boost to mid-day meal

To improve health ofmalnourished kids, govt will provide 10-gm of saragwa in schools; supply to bemet by growing vegetable

Being a state with the third highest number of malnourished children in India, Gujarat government has decided to take a cue from Karnataka and introduce drumstick in its midday meal (MDM) scheme for schools.

According to data released by Women and Child Development department in 2013 in reply to the state assembly, there are over 6 lakh children in 14 districts who are malnourished and extremely malnourished.To deal with the situation, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) will soon include 10-gram drumstick in mid-day meals daily.

Since the scheme was started, Karnataka has included the nutritious vegetable to its menu list of schools. And the same recommendation was made by the `5th Review Mission of Mid-day meal-Gujarat'. So, Gujarat Medicinal Plants Board (GMPB) in association with Women and Child Development has planned to implement the plan in the state.

“Saragwa (drumstick) is one of the nutrient-rich vegetables which has vitamin, protein, iron, calcium and other important minerals which not only makes bones strong but also increases haemoglobin,“ said Dr Jagdish Prasad, CEO, GMPB.

In fact, WHO has been recommending the vegetable to Third World countries as a medium of cheap and health source of nutrition.

SCHOOLS TO PLANT SARAGWA

Currently, more than 42 lakh and 21 lakh children are covered under the mid-day meal scheme in primary and upper primary schools respectively. Government doesn't have the required supply to provide saragwa to these children daily. Hence, there is a plan to make bio-intensive garden at school grounds so that they can supply the required vegetables Mukesh Kumar, commissioner of Primary Education and Mid Day Meals, said, “Schools have been instructed to implement it wherever possible. They have even been asked to plant it in their own premises.“

GOODNESS OF DRUMSTICK

Research has shown that the nutritional value of drumstick is 7 times the Vitamin C in orange plus 4 times the calcium in milk plus 3 times potassium in banana plus 2 times the protein in milk plus 4 times the vitamin A in carrot.

The vegetable has calcium that helps strengthen bones in children. Drumstick soup helps to ease chest congestions, coughs and sore throats. It is also a blood purifier. It has Vitamins A and C. It has more potassium than bananas which helps in functioning of brain and nerves. “It is a healthy vegetable which helps in detox ification of body and makes bones strong. It is easily digestible and rich in potassi um and calcium,“ said Sima Shah, nutritionist.