Parbhani ZP CEO pushes for kitchen garden-linked midday meal, botanical gardens across all 1,122 ZP schools in district

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Parbhani Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Natisha Mathur has introduced an ambitious initiative to implement kitchen garden–linked midday meal programmes and student-managed botanical gardens across all 1,122 ZP schools in the district. The move draws inspiration from the success of the PM-SHRI Central Primary School in Manwath. The school secured the top rank in the Marathwada division under Phase III of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Sundar Shala Campaign, positioning it as a benchmark for innovation and quality within the ZP education system.Parbhani district's 1,122 ZP schools serve around 1,02,928 students, supported by 4,787 teachers. Among the enrolled students are 3,340 children with special needs, making inclusive, hands-on learning a core administrative focus, ZP CEO Mathur said.The Manwath school, operating in two shifts due to its enrolment of nearly 1,300 students — the highest among ZP schools in Maharashtra — has emerged as a flagship model. "It offers semi-English sections and hosts a PM-SHRI-aligned anganwadi, strengthening foundations in early childhood education," Mathur said.The school's kitchen garden enhances the midday meal programme with fresh and home-grown produce cultivated by students, parents and the school management committee. Every Wednesday, supplementary nutrition items like dried dates, peanut chikki, rajgira laddoos and biscuits are provided. "In a way, this initiative gives children their first hands-on experience with organic farming," Mathur said.The campus also includes a student-maintained botanical garden, an upgraded computer laboratory and regular sessions ensuring a dedicated 30 minutes of daily reading. A night study group, functioning from 6pm to 8pm, further promotes peer-based learning. Academically, the school follows the Mission Foundation and Mission Diamond programmes, aligned with the state's evolving CBSE-style curriculum. "The outcomes have been notable. Sixty-four students qualified in the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) examination, one student reached the final stage of the Dr Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik Competition and several others secured admission to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya," block education officer Gajanan Waghmare said."The Manwath model shows how structured planning, innovation and community participation can transform public education. We are preparing a roadmap to replicate these best practices across all 2,103 ZP schools in Parbhani," Mathur said.