Mangaluru: In response to objections raised by parents, the Akshara Dasoha office in Dakshina Kannada has approved the discontinuation of eggs in midday meals at 11 schools. These schools—either situated within temple or Jain Basadi premises or managed by religious organisations—formally expressed discomfort over including eggs in children’s meals.
Initially, Akshara Dasoha officials had declined to modify the menu, stating such changes required community consensus. However, once parents submitted written preferences favoring bananas over eggs, the requests were reconsidered. Now, these 11 schools serve bananas as a substitute.
Jnanesh MP, executive officer of Akshara Dasoha (DK), explained that the issue surfaced during inspections conducted by the Azim Premji Foundation for Development, which is implementing a six-eggs-per-week initiative with state support. Inspectors noticed that some schools were skipping eggs, opting for chikki and bananas instead—despite eggs being a mandated item.
When these schools requested exemptions, the state government initially rejected the plea and directed officials to gather parental input. Consent forms were circulated, and the majority of parents voted against eggs. The revised menu was implemented accordingly.
Notably, chikki has been removed from the midday meal menu statewide due to reported health concerns.
The midday meal programme is now running smoothly across the district. Jnanesh added that final student numbers for this academic year will be confirmed only by late June, as admissions continue and many migrant children are yet to return.
Read Also: