Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has taken a calculated social decision to keep eggs off the midday meal platter. Keeping in mind the sensitivities of the vegetarian sections of society, and the donor NGOs to the meal scheme, the government has resolved not to introduce eggs.

Two years ago, the education department had recommended that children be given eggs too. After dithering for months, the government finally buckled to pressure. Instead, the authorities have decided to supplement the meal with milk, under Karnataka’s flagship Ksheera Bhagya scheme.

In Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Shivaraj Singh Chauhan also decided to keep eggs off the noon meal scheme.

Considered a non-vegetarian produce, eggs are taboo among a few sects of society. Sources in the midday meals section of the education department said even if the government reconsiders its decision to introduce eggs in midday meals, it will be an uphill task to maintain enrolment for the scheme in schools.

In 2013-14, a Joint Review Mission (JRM) which visited Karnataka suggested ensuring “wholesome growth” of children who subscribe to midday meals. One suggestion made by the JRM was: “Students need supplementary food like snacks, bananas and eggs, as in other states.” The JRM is scheduled to visit the state later this month.

Though data by the Right To Food campaign has revealed that across nutrition schemes, the best states consistently providing eggs are Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, while Karnataka has been reluctant on this front.

One major reason is said to be opposition from the prominent Lingayat community. “If we were to introduce eggs, children will start dropping out of the scheme and eventually, from the schools. It’s a risk which the state seems unlikely to take,” said an education officer.

Coupled with the social factor, donors who prepare and serve midday meals to schoolchildren, also play a major role in stalling any decision by the government to include eggs, sources said.

The three biggest NGOs, Akshya Patra by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), Adamya Chetana run by Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, wife of Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers, and the Akhila Karnataka Kannada Kasturi Sangha provide midday meals to 1,062 schools in Karnataka. Iskcon alone supplies midday meals to 694 schools across the state, with up to 3 lakh beneficiaries.

Of the 64.69 lakh children in class 1 to 8, 61.41 lakh children come under midday meals, as per 2014-15 figures. The Ksheera Bhagya has also become an alternative source of calcium and protein, education department sources said. This has been reiterated by NGOs and all those who oppose the introduction of eggs in the scheme.

GOODNESS OF MILK

Ksheera Bhagya scheme gives

* 18gm milk powder, 10gm sugar, 0.12gm added factors to every child every alternate day

* Milk powder and sugar is converted into 150ml of milk

* Of 64.69 lakh students in the state, 62.20 lakh are beneficiaries

