Bengal to serve eggs separately besides ISKCON's satvik midday meal

Kolkata, Jul 29 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced his government will separately provide eggs to students in mid-day meal, though the responsibility of cooking and supplying meals in all government and government-aided schools in Kolkata would be undertaken by ISKCON as a pilot project from August 1.

At a School Composite Grant distribution programme held in the state secretariat Nabanna, Adhikari put to rest the prevailing uncertainty over including eggs in students’ meals in the wake of the opposition allegation that the BJP-ruled state is trying to impose vegetarian diets on students.

The government also announced providing financial assistance of over Rs 296 crore to a total of 80,375 state-run schools from the event.

“While ISKCON will provide pure, satvik and protein-rich meals to students, we are making arrangements to additionally provide eggs to students, keeping in mind their need for a wholesome protein diet, through our Self Help Groups (SHGs),” the chief minister said.

Clarifying that eggs would be provided separately once or twice a week, Adhikari said the state government had increased allocations in primary sections to Rs 10 from Rs 6.78 per student, eradicating the existing inequality in mid-day meal funds allotment between junior and senior students.

The issue of mid-day meals had figured in the state budget for the 2026-27 fiscal after reports emerged that ISKCON would be given responsibility for the meals.

Concerns were raised by a section of stakeholders in the education community who argued that handing over the school meal programme to ISKCON could indirectly push students towards a vegetarian diet and that eggs could be permanently removed from the mid-day meal menu in schools.

Earlier this month, a public interest litigation was filed before the Calcutta High Court on the issue, following which the court sought an affidavit from the state government.

Meanwhile, remarks from School Education Minister Dipak Barman advocating vegetarian food had further fuelled speculations over the possibility of eggs being excluded from students’ meals.

“There are many people in society and in this country and across the world who are completely vegetarian and have lived healthy lives. Vegetarian food also contains sufficient nutritional value, and those who eat vegetarian food receive all the nutrients necessary for building their bodies. Therefore, there is no compulsion or requirement that children must eat eggs for nutrition,” Burman had said.

TMC MP Derek O'Brien had earlier tweeted: "After the fish-eating tamasha during the election campaign, the Gujarat Gymkhana finally reveals itself. New BJP govt at work in Bengal. Throw eggs at rivals. But DEPRIVE CHILDREN of nutrition by taking eggs off from midday meals. Imposing vegetarianism. Bengal rejects this." Wednesday's announcement from the chief minister, which came on the day of Guru Purnima, not only effectively put an end to those speculations but also allayed apprehensions of a large section of guardians who requested the inclusion of eggs for their wards.

Adhikari said 60 per cent of the composite grant for schools is provided by the Centre, while the remaining 40 per cent is borne by the state government.

The chief minister has also conveyed that transparent hiring will henceforth be the benchmark in the state’s education sector, stating no political figure will be involved in the recruitment process.

A total of 50,000 teachers and educational staff will be recruited during the current academic year, he said.

“The posts of teachers, educational staff, head teachers, physical education teachers, and librarians are all vacant. There has been a lot of corruption in recruitment. We have moved away from that situation and stopped political appointments in the School Service Commission. No political person will be involved in any recruitment process in the future,” Adhikari said.

“We will complete the recruitment process in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives. Six thousand interviews were pending; those will also be completed. There will be no further problems in the coming days,” he added.

The CM said that, as announced in the budget, the state would follow up on the recruitment of 12,000 teachers and support staff in schools by appointing at least another 38,000 – gradually hiring a total of 50,000 – teachers and staff during the current academic year. PTI