Vijayawada Rural Primary School praised for effective Kitchen Garden implementation

A teacher from the Venkata Puram Mandal Parishad Primary School in Vijayawada Rural was appreciated by Minister for Human Resource Development and IT, Nara Lokesh, for effectively implementing an eco-friendly initiative that integrates environmental learning with student participation.

The commendation was conveyed through the Minister’s official X (Twitter) handle, where he lauded teacher Manoj Namburi for aligning the school with nature’s rhythm and nurturing what he described as “the green dream of the neem tree.” The Minister acknowledged the teacher’s consistent efforts in creating school gardens wherever he has served, making gardening with students a daily learning activity.

It was highlighted in the Minister’s post that government funds allocated for the School Kitchen Garden Programme had been used efficiently to develop and maintain the garden at the Venkata Puram school. Vegetables and fruits cultivated in the garden were said to have been shared among students or used as part of the Midday Meal Scheme, creating a practical model of sustainability and nutritional education.

The initiative taken by Manoja Namburi has been viewed as an example of how the School Kitchen Garden (SKG) scheme—implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) programme—can be effectively realized at the grassroots level. The scheme, introduced in 2016–17, was designed to ensure the availability of fresh vegetables for midday meals while imparting environmental awareness and practical agricultural skills to students.

According to official information from the Andhra Pradesh School Education Department, more than 10,000 government schools across the state have developed kitchen gardens under this programme. These gardens are maintained using funds provided jointly by the Central and State Governments under the PM POSHAN scheme. Additional support is also extended through local community participation, self-help groups, and panchayat institutions.

Similar initiatives have been reported in several districts, including Chittoor, Krishna, Guntur, Vizianagaram, East Godavari, and Annamayya, where schools have been cultivating vegetables such as spinach, brinjal, tomato, and okra for their midday meals. Many of these efforts have been recognized in district-level review meetings for improving student nutrition and promoting environmental education.

However, the initiative led by Manoj Namburi has drawn special attention for the manner in which it has been incorporated into the school’s daily routine. Students at the Venkata Puram school are said to have been actively engaged in planting, nurturing, and harvesting crops. The teacher’s emphasis on collective participation and environmental responsibility has been praised as a model of practical learning and efficient fund utilization.

The Minister’s recognition was widely noted by educators and local officials, who regarded the initiative as an example of how simple, community-based practices can enhance both educational and nutritional outcomes in government schools. The teacher’s work was described as a demonstration of how effective planning, combined with student involvement, can transform government-funded schemes into meaningful environmental education exercises.

Through this recognition, emphasis was placed on the potential of school kitchen gardens not only to supplement midday meals but also to foster a culture of sustainability among young learners. The case of Venkata Puram MPP School was highlighted as an illustration of how education, environmental responsibility, and community development can be successfully integrated at the elementary level.

The appreciation post shared by Minister Lokesh on November 4, 2025, has since been circulated widely on social media, drawing positive responses from teachers and parents who viewed the initiative as a successful model of government scheme implementation and participatory learning.