The war on eggs continues: Maha Gov’t no longer paying for eggs in midday meals
EdexLive Desk
In a directive issued to government schools, the Maharashtra State government asked them to seek public funding for eggs if they want to continue serving eggs in the meals
This decision was taken by the State government after right-wing groups associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena protested against eggs in midday meals
In October 2024, the government of Goa removed eggs from their midday meals programme after parents protested against their inclusion
Several state governments outsource the preparation of midday meals to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Akshaya Patra, which is infamous for advocating for a “sattvic diet” devoid of meat, eggs, onions and garlic
These state governments include those of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana
Critics of this exclusion argue that the move is based on casteist notions of food and results in child malnutrition