Vedanta Expands Its ‘Swarna Prashan’ Drive In Odisha’s Rayagada & Kalahandi

Bhubaneswar: Vedanta Aluminium has expanded its ‘Swarna Prashan’ initiative, an Ayurveda-based immunisation drive, to over 6,400 students of 15 government schools in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.

An event was held at GCD Zilla Girls’ High School in Rayagada recently in presence of District Education Officer Basant Nayak, Additional DEO Bhajan Lal Majhi, Block Education Officer Sudipta Das and Ayurvedic doctors VJP Rao and Atal Bihari Guru.

“Through our collaboration with the Odisha government and the Ministry of Ayush, we aim to promote the health and well-being of children in underserved regions by leveraging time-tested traditional practices. Investing in children’s development is critical for shaping vibrant and thriving communities, and we are excited to witness the programme’s positive impact in Kalahandi and Rayagada,” said Vedanta Aluminium COO Sunil Gupta.

The DEO Basant Kumar Nayak said that ‘Swarna Prashan’ is a time-honoured Ayurvedic practice with proven benefits in boosting immunity and cognitive function in children.

Bauxite Mines, Vedanta Aluminium, CEO Nitin Kumar Tiwari informed about plans to extend the programme to Koraput. “We aim to reach more than 30,000 children, from infants to 16-year-olds, by the end of the year. This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering child health and holistic community development,” he added.

Since the launch of the initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Ayush in September this year, Vedanta Aluminium has covered more than 10,600 students in Kalahandi and Rayagada region so far.

This ancient Ayurvedic practice involves administering a blend of gold particles, honey, and ghee to children, a formulation renowned for enhancing memory, boosting immunity, and supporting holistic development during their critical growth years, a company release said.