Akshaya Patra Articles

 The Akshaya Patra Foundation, headquartered in Bengaluru, is an NGO in India dedicated to the welfare of children. Its primary role involves implementing the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Programme) and thus protect children from malnutrition while ensuring they receive education. Through a network of 72 kitchens spanning across 16 states and 2 UTs, the organisation is currently feeding over 2 million children every day. Each of these kitchen operates in accordance with ISO guidelines, ensuring that the meals served to children are hygienic and safe.  Two models of kitchens the organisation adopts for effective implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Programme (MDM) are: 1. Centralised kitchens Centralised kitchens have the capacity to prepare 1,00, 000 meals per day. Every aspect of meal preparation, from procuring raw materials to the final delivery of cooked meals can be efficiently coordinated from a single point of control. Thes...

 Every day, one comes across myriad societal issues such as malnutrition among children, homelessness, exploitation of street animals, gender-based violence and also pervasive environmental pollution. A collective effort is necessary to alleviate such issues. Here comes the role Section 80G of the IT Act plays as it gives tax exemptions for supporting various social welfare programmes and actively contributes to uplifting communities. Section 80G – An Overview Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, introduced by the Government of India, allows taxpayers to claim for deduction for their contribution to certain funds and eligible charitable organisations. Depending on the nature of the donation, the amount of exemption varies between 100% or 50%. Providing tax benefits, thereby, encourage people to support different social causes and ultimately makes a positive impact in society. The Role of NGOs in Fostering Social Welfare Programmes NGOs act as a bridge between the government a...