A traditional half marathon, typically covering a cumulative distance of 13 miles, often transforms into an event that unites a sprawling metropolis. On a mildly chilly morning in New Delhi on October 15, stepping into the bustling precincts of Jawahar Lal Nehru (JLN) stadium, one would have been greeted by the remarkable demographic diversity of the world’s most populous democracy, all congregated for the purpose of participating in the “Run For Zero Hunger,” the stated objective of this year’s New Delhi Half Marathon.
More than 35,000 runners hailing from India and various corners of the globe gathered for the Half Marathon. With each kilometer traversed, the event contributed to providing one square meal in one of India’s state-of-the-art aanganwadis, which serve as the country’s flagship rural mother and childcare centers. Notably, around 6,000 of these aanganwadis are operated by Vedanta, the organization behind the organization of the Half Marathon. This initiative is part of the mining multinational’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, which is active in 14 states throughout India.
India boasts over 1.3 million aanganwadis, established with the objective of combating malnourishment in rural areas. The Indian government’s annual national budget for 2023-24 allotted a substantial ?25,449 crore ($3.05 billion) to the state-sponsored scheme focused on the revitalization of aanganwadis.
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