Delhi launches 'Eat Well, Live Well' program across 75 CM SHRI schools

Delhi has launched the 'Eat Well Live Well' initiative on Foundational Wellbeing Literacy in 75 CM SHRI Schools. The programme aims to turn health knowledge into daily habits for 30,000 children.

In Short

• The framework links wellbeing literacy with everyday behaviour inside and beyond classrooms
• Students will cover nutrition, hygiene, drinking water, physical activity and mealtimes
• Parents are expected to reinforce school habits at home for continuity

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has launched Eat Well Live Well, a new initiative on Foundational Wellbeing Literacy (FWL) across 75 CM SHRI Schools, reaching around 30,000 children.

The programme aims to help students develop healthy, responsible and fulfilling everyday habits, alongside the foundational skills they acquire through education.

The initiative was launched by Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood in the presence of senior education officials, experts, principals, teachers and students.

FROM LEARNING TO LIVING WELL

The programme is based on the idea that just as Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) provides children with the basic foundation for learning, Foundational Wellbeing Literacy (FWL) can provide a foundation for living well.

Speaking at the launch, Education Minister Ashish Sood said children today have access to a large amount of information, but simply knowing something does not necessarily translate into practising it.

He said the challenge is to turn knowledge into everyday habits and added that the 75 CM SHRI Schools can become “torchbearers” for this approach.

WHAT IS FOUNDATIONAL WELLBEING LITERACY?

The initiative follows a whole-school approach, focusing not only on what students learn but also on what they practise in their everyday school lives.

The programme covers areas including food and nutrition, food safety and hygiene, drinking water, physical activity, mealtimes and the wider school environment.

It also aims to involve parents so that healthy habits developed at school can extend into students' homes.

NO EXTRA TEXTBOOK OR EXAM

According to the programme framework, Eat Well Live Well is not intended to become another subject, textbook or examination.

Instead, students will learn through short conversations, practical activities, visual cues and repeated practice. The objective is to help children move from simply knowing about healthy behaviours to actually practising them.

21 PERSONAL HABITS, 7 SOCIAL AND 7 PLANETARY SKILLS

The programme is built around 21 personal habits, seven social skills and seven planetary skills.

The framework encourages children to develop habits and skills that help them care for themselves, care for others and care for the planet.

The initiative therefore looks beyond individual health and includes aspects of relationships, social behaviour and environmental responsibility.

SCHOOL WELLBEING COMMITTEES TO TRACK PROGRESS

Ankita Anand, Director, Education, said the initiative is not about adding another programme to schools but about bringing together what schools are already doing and making wellbeing part of everyday school life.

Schools will have School Wellbeing Committees and use a School Wellbeing Score to understand their current position, identify areas that need improvement, take action and review their progress.

Dr Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition, highlighted the importance of developing healthy eating and lifestyle habits early in life.

She said schools provide an important setting where children can learn such habits, practise them regularly and carry them into adulthood.

The programme has also benefited from expertise from the ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition, Lady Irwin College and the Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, along with experience from earlier school pilots.

FOCUS ON EVIDENCE AND IMPACT

The initiative will also include implementation research and impact assessment.

Dr Purnima Menon, Director for Strategy and Partnerships, IFPRI, said schools provide a powerful setting for building healthy behaviours early, but it is important to understand whether children's habits and school environments actually improve.

Food Future Foundation is partnering with IFPRI for implementation research and impact assessment.

LAUNCHED DURING POSHAN MAAH

The launch comes during Poshan Maah and ahead of Teachers' Day celebration highlighting the role of teachers in helping students turn knowledge into everyday practices.

The programme's broader aim is to make wellbeing an everyday part of school life rather than something taught only through lessons.

While FLN builds the foundations for learning, the initiative seeks to build FWL as a foundation for living well, giving children skills and habits that can extend beyond the classroom.

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