Roz khao ande? Why introducing eggs in mid-day meals in Karnataka has been a bone of contention

Malnutrition is a problem prevalent across India, especially among children. In a step to tackle it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka is planning to expand its initiative of serving eggs in mid-day meals in more schools across the state from the next academic session. The pilot phase was started in December 2021, where eggs were served in seven “backward” districts in north Karnataka. Now the BJP wants to bring in more schools under this programme, The Indian Express reports. For those children who do not consume eggs, fruits and other alternatives would be made available. In a country, where more than 33 lakh children are malnourished, this move to introduce eggs – an excellent source of protein and other key nutrients – by the Karanataka government should be lauded. But on the contrary. Even as the proposal awaits the state government’s approval, it faces opposition from various religious communities – the influential Ligayats and the Jains. It’s a politics vs nutrition debate that started in 2021 in Karnataka, but other states have also been embroiled in a similar row in the past. We take a look at what mid-day meals provide, the need to improve nutrition, and the long-standing dispute over it. The significance of the Karnataka government’s initiative The proposal, which was implemented between December 2021 and March 2022, is expected to be finalised and then placed before the Karnataka Cabinet, reports The Indian Express. The state government is expected to bear the cost, which is approximately Rs 6.50 for an egg. If the Cabinet gives a go-ahead, Karnataka will become the first BJP-ruled state to introduce eggs in the mid-day meal scheme. Launched by the Indian government in 1995 and renamed PM Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM Poshan in 2021, the scheme which has evolved since its inception covers 11.80 crore children across Classes 1 to 8 across the country. The lunch programme aims to meet the nutritional requirements of children attending government schools and those run by municipal corporations. For many of the country’s poor children enrolled in these educational institutions, the food they are provided here is the only wholesome meal of the day. The opposition to eggs Yet the initiative has been opposed by religious leaders in the state, who believe that introducing eggs in school meals would influence the food culture in Karanataka. When the controversy first erupted in November last year, Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swami of the Pejavar Matha in Udupi (National President of Lingayat Dharma Mahasabha), Channa Basavananda Swami, Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swami (who is a prominent Jain seer) were among the leaders who urged the Karnataka government to not “force” vegetarian students to eat eggs, according to a report in The News Minute. Some suggested that students could be given the cash set aside for eggs and others insisted that the protein intake would be taken care of if students are provided pulses, milk, and fruits. Eggs in meals Most states avoid eggs in the mid-day meal. In India, only 13 states and three Union Territories currently have eggs on the menu. Eggs are in the meals in Tamil Nadu every day, while in Andhra Pradesh they are served five days a week. Telangana serves eggs thrice a week, while Jharkhand, Odisha, and Tripura do it twice. In Bihar, Kerala, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Assam, eggs are served once a week. Sikkim has eggs for lunch only once a month. Andaman and Nicobar Islands serve eggs thrice a week, while in Ladakh it is served once a week, and twice in Puducherry. For students who do not eat eggs, fruits are given instead. [caption id=“attachment_10556741” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The mid-day meal scheme covers 11.80 crore children across India. AFP[/caption] A typical school lunch menu While there’s no one menu for all, authorities need to ensure that the nutritional component of the meal made up of rice, pulses, vegetables, oil, and fat provides at least 450 calories and 12 grammes protein to children in primary grades. For upper primary children, the requirements are 700 calories and 20 grammes of protein, reports The Indian Express. Keeping eggs off the menu Dietary habits vary across the country with large parts of the population being vegetarian. When choices related to religion come into the picture, the matter becomes sensitive, often triggering a political debate like the one in Karnataka. However, it is not the only state that has faced opposition to eggs in mid-day meals. The BJP has opposed the inclusion of eggs on school menus in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan had rolled back the decision taken by the Congress government in the state under Kamal Nath to introduce eggs in Anganwadi meals in 2015. In 2019, Congress and the BJP sparred over eggs in mid-day meals. Eggs had been removed from these meals by the Raman Singh government in 2015 but were re-introduced in January 2019 by Chief Minister Bhupesh Bagel from the Congress. It later came up with a proposal to home-deliver eggs to students who want them instead of serving them at school. The BJP-led Karnataka government’s move to introduce eggs then comes as a surprise, especially in the wake of calls in the state to ban halal meat. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.