ICMR to spread Gandhi's healthy habits in schools
New Delhi: In a move aimed at making India a lifestyle based disease-free country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a research arm of the Health Ministry, has decided to roll out a pilot project to propagate the Gandhian philosophy of health among children in schools.
The prime objective of the project, which is the brainchild of ICMR DG Balram Bhargava, is to make the future generation of the country fit by educating children about healthy habits of Gandhi through different means of communication. It would also help to put a check on life-taking life-style based diseases, which have added to the disease burden of the country.
The ICMR has roped in Delhi-based National Gandhi Museum (NGM) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to propagate teachings of Gandhi among schoolchildren. The pilot project would be first launched in July in about 80 schools of the national capital and after its success; it would be introduced in other parts of the country.
However, the project is also seen as a contribution by the ICMR to the government's initiative to celebrate the 150thbirth anniversary of Gandhi on October 2, 2019.
Explaining about the operational part of the project, a senior ICMR official said, "The drive is about reaching out to young kids who are the future generation of the country. The lifestyle diseases are increasing like anything as if the situation remains the same, it would be very difficult to control life-taking diseases. The project would help in educating children about all the good habits of Gandhi."
"Besides showing movies on Gandhi's healthy habits, three experts – one from Gandhi Museum, one ICMR official and one medical practitioner --- would also visit every school and brief students in detail about the secrets of Gandhi's health. School kids would be taught about the teachings of Gandhi to remain fit and healthy throughout their life as Gandhi did," the official said.
The official further said, "Children are aware of Gandhi's role in the freedom struggle, but they hardly know about Gandhi's healthy habits such as practising yoga, meditation, involvement in physical activities, etc."
"The children would be explained about the ill-effects of continuous television watching, playing with mobile phones, etc. They would also be taught about following healthy habits of Gandhiji to keep themselves fit and healthy," the official said.
