The provision of serving mid-day meals to students is intended to encourage the students to come to school. Hundreds of low-income families can still not afford two square meals in a day, let alone send their children, which they considered a source of supplementary income to house, to school. For a long time, the poor believed that having more children would ensure that more individuals go to work and get home some money. Therefore, sending children to school would only add to their financial burden, was not a viable option. This scenario changed with the midday meal scheme; people started sending their children to school, hoping that they would get one nutritious meal in a day.
Over two decades have passed, and nutritional requirements and tastes and preferences have also changed with time. The debate over including eggs in the midday meal menu has been widely debated upon. While the nutritionists suggest that including eggs would complement a child's growth in formative years, the right-wing believes that it is an attempt to forcefully convert children into non-vegetarians, which most certainly, does not serve the interests of upper-class Hindus. Tamil Nadu was the first Indian state under the DMK government that included eggs in midday meals by providing an egg every two weeks to every child. Later, the state government stepped up the initiative to one egg per week.
Karnataka Approved Eggs In Midday Meals In 7 Districts
Nutritionists and Dieticians have emphasized the importance of including eggs in diet to help children grow better. However, despite proven benefits, eggs are kept out of the food menu in most states where the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power. The latest move by the Karnataka state government to include eggs in the meal plan for seven districts was well-received. Nonetheless, the question now arises as to why the sanction was provided only for seven districts and that why do other states not follow suit?
An Ecuador-based study demonstrated that eggs, whether soft or hard-boiled, fried or in omelette form, have proven health benefits, especially in children. When the nutritional values are compared with a banana and a glass of milk, one could easily spot the drastic differences. A boiled egg provides 17 grams of protein, whereas a banana provides 1 gram and a glass of milk provides only 6 grams. In most arguments, eggs are criticized for their fat content; however, young children are very active, and most of them in India need more fat in their daily diet. Moreover, eggs provide other essential nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Secondly, unlike most vegetables and fruits, eggs have a longer shelf-life and are easier to handle. Several rural areas with decentralized administration lack refrigeration facilities. Therefore, edible products like eggs can play a significant role. Moreover, eggs can neither be diluted nor be adultered, unlike milk, dal, rice or atta.
Children in India, especially those who study in government schools, are primarily undernourished and have a poor food intake at home. Getting eggs in their diet is a big luxury for such households that cannot afford the most basic food grains. In several cases, parents cannot afford protein-rich foods in their children's diets because of lack of a stable income; therefore, if governments step up and initiate to take care of the children's dietary needs, one could expect a promising tomorrow.
Only One-Fifth Indians Are 'Pure Vegetarians'
In India, only one-fifth of the total population is 'pure vegetarian'. Over 70 per cent of the families in India are non-vegetarians. Madhya Pradesh was one of the states with the highest 'pure vegetarians' at a mere 35 per cent. Under many circumstances, people are vegetarian out of compulsion and not out of choice. Several upper-class Hindus choose to have a non-vegetarian diet. Consumption of eggs is more an income matter than a preference matter, thus strengthening the argument of providing eggs in midday meals.
In several places across the country, children are more undernourished than those in the Sub-Saharan African region. The COVID-19 imposed lockdown created panic and a state of food shock in the country. In June 2020, the government recorded nearly 2500 cases to low to moderate malnourishment in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an alarming increase in just two months of the lockdown.
Unfortunately, the condition of malnourishment in children is not limited to only districts or states. More than 33 lakh children in India are victims of malnourishment, and over half of them fall under the severe category. The Scroll reported that Maharashtra had the highest number of malnourished children at 6,16,772, followed by Bihar (4,75,824) and then Gujarat (3,20,465). Other states with an increased number of malnourished children are Andhra Pradesh (2,67,228), Karnataka (2,49,463), and Uttar Pradesh (1,86,640).
In 2015, Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government disapproved the proposal of providing eggs to the Aanganwadis. The majority party's aversion has made it possible only for five states to include eggs in their meal plan. The argument does not support the fact that non-BJP states provide eggs to children. States like Punjab, Mizoram and Delhi also do not offer eggs to children in government schools, but not based on religious conditions.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reported that 7.5 per cent of children in India under the age of five are severely wasted. The data has seen a rise of 1.1 per cent from 6.4 per cent in the 2005-06 survey. On the other hand, several animal rights activists have stepped up support for the right-wing in this debate, mentioning that poultry birds used for eggs are amongst the most abused animals on this planet.
In any scenario, one cannot argue that the inclusion of eggs would serve a two-way purpose: getting children to school and improving the country's literacy; secondly, providing a healthy and tasty alternative to students and motivating them to be regular. Governments stepping up would be a huge help for families that cannot adequately fulfil their children's dietary requirements. Moreover, eggs have proven to improve the health of malnourished children, thus taking a step towards a promising tomorrow.
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