Food for thought: India packs lunch for 150 million

[Graeme]

I came across this article in The Age newspaper in Melbourne. I thought it was an interesting glimpse into a place I've never been to.

 

Food for thought: India packs lunch for 150 million

[pitchan]

Wow. I didnt know it was international news! Lol. My mom used to go to a government school, and she has told me about this kind of thing (the poor children coming to school just for the free meal). So its going to be a subject for Harvard study? Cool

Edited October 20, 2007 by pitchan

[Graeme]

It was a big, prominent article in the Saturday newspaper. It definitely is in the news here , though it's competing against a federal election campaign, so I don't expect any follow-up on it.

[BeaStKid]

Well, even I was surprised to see this come off as an international news.

 

Yeah, this is a great initiative by the Indian Govt to alleviate illeteracy and goes a long way too.

 

Pitchan, this ain't the only thing about India that the Harward guys are studying. They are also studying about how efficient our dabba (tiffin) systems are in Mumbai and Bangalore and about the way that Laloo Prasad Yadav transformed the Indian Railways from a loss making organisation into a profit making one.

 

For those who don't know what a tiffin system is, it is a tiffin system (duh!) for office-goers who are unable to cook for themselves or are unable to get cooked food. By availing this service, they get the benifit of home-cooked food at a cheap price (mostly Rs.25 for a meal) without any effort as it is delivered at their office right on time for their lunch hour!!!

 

The Beastkid

[pitchan]

Well, even I was surprised to see this come off as an international news.

 

Yeah, this is a great initiative by the Indian Govt to alleviate illeteracy and goes a long way too.

 

Pitchan, this ain't the only thing about India that the Harward guys are studying. They are also studying about how efficient our dabba (tiffin) systems are in Mumbai and Bangalore and about the way that Laloo Prasad Yadav transformed the Indian Railways from a loss making organisation into a profit making one.

 

For those who don't know what a tiffin system is, it is a tiffin system (duh!) for office-goers who are unable to cook for themselves or are unable to get cooked food. By availing this service, they get the benifit of home-cooked food at a cheap price (mostly Rs.25 for a meal) without any effort as it is delivered at their office right on time for their lunch hour!!!

 

The Beastkid

 

Oh I knew about the dabbawallahs. After all, there is documentary after documentary made out of it. Any food program about India almost always contains a story about them. Id heard about the Laloo Prasad Yadav thing as well. It just surprised me that this particular thing was a Harvard study. Maybe I shouldn't have been though lol

[BeaStKid]

Oh I knew about the dabbawallahs. After all, there is documentary after documentary made out of it. Any food program about India almost always contains a story about them. Id heard about the Laloo Prasad Yadav thing as well. It just surprised me that this particular thing was a Harvard study. Maybe I shouldn't have been though lol

Actually, the thing to study for the Mid-Day Meal Program is the same as for the dabbawallah program.----->

 

How do they manage (That is what they are trying to learn, right?) to make so many dishes at such a short notice (they make it fresh in the morning) and get them delivered without any hassals and that too right on time!!!

 

The Beastkid

[colinian]

Actually, the thing to study for the Mid-Day Meal Program is the same as for the dabbawallah program.----->

 

How do they manage (That is what they are trying to learn, right?) to make so many dishes at such a short notice (they make it fresh in the morning) and get them delivered without any hassals and that too right on time!!!

 

The Beastkid

The Amazing Race is a reality program on TV here in the U.S. A couple of years ago they had a segment where the contestants were in India included having to deliver the mid-day meals from a central kitchen to an office building and then to each person who had ordered one. They tried to be first to complete the task so they could go on to their next task; the had to hand-carry a huge tray with the cooked food from the central kitchen through the streets to the office building, then deliver the correct meal to each person who had an order. It was fun -- if you were an observer watching it on TV.

 

Colin

[BeaStKid]

The Amazing Race is a reality program on TV here in the U.S. A couple of years ago they had a segment where the contestants were in India included having to deliver the mid-day meals from a central kitchen to an office building and then to each person who had ordered one. They tried to be first to complete the task so they could go on to their next task; the had to hand-carry a huge tray with the cooked food from the central kitchen through the streets to the office building, then deliver the correct meal to each person who had an order. It was fun -- if you were an observer watching it on TV.

 

Colin

Yup... I remember seeing something like that on The Amazing Race...

[AFriendlyFace]

This is so cool!!