In order to tackle malnutrition and anaemia among children, the Karnataka government introduced eggs in the mid-day meals of school children last year in December. The move was, however, opposed by some religious groups and communities who claimed that it could hurt religious sentiments of vegetarians. Despite the opposition, the state government is now aiming to expand its initiative, reported a leading new daily.
Initially, eggs were given in mid-day meals in seven districts of North Karnataka where children were found to be malnourished and anaemic as per the National Family Health Survey. The scheme was implemented from December 2021 to March 2022.
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Reportedly, the government has been encouraged by many children and parents who welcomed the inclusion of eggs in meals. A new proposal will be finalised and placed before the state cabinet announcing the expansion of the scheme. The proposal is already said to be placed before the state’s finance department while the Centre has also been apprised of it.
The Karnataka government will bear the cost of the eggs which is estimated to be around Rs 6.50 per egg. It is also planning to provide fruits and other alternatives to children who don’t consume eggs.
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Talking about the move, an official said that “the proposal is to provide eggs to children every alternate school day.” The report said even if the government fails to implement the scheme in the whole state at once, more districts will be added to the current list. It claimed that a study was conducted to assess if the initiative positively impacted the nutrition levels among children. Karnataka Education Minister B C Nagesh said, “We are thinking of adding more distrcits where eggs or alternatives can be provided.” He emphasized that eggs can’t be fed to every child, so alternatives would be needed for others.
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