The Bhupesh Baghel-led government in Chhattisgarh reportedly announced on Tuesday, January 15 that eggs will be added in the mid-day meal menu in the state.
Scroll.in reported that according to a government circular, items like soya milk, animal milk, protein crunch, fortified soya biscuits and soya papad may also be served, a government circular stated. The circular reportedly added that local, seasonal fruits and whole grain rice must also be served in the mid-day meals. Government officials told Scroll that eggs might be substituted with milk or other protein-rich products if children or their parents do not approve of consuming eggs.
Officials reportedly tested samples of mid-day meals for nutritional properties from 66 schools in 19 districts. In 47 schools, the calories present in a meal were found to be over 85 per cent but less than 100 per cent of the prescribed amount, whereas in nine schools, the number of calories was below 85 per cent of the specified figure, reported Scroll. A fully nutritious meal was provided to students only in two schools, the circular reportedly noted.
As per a report from July 2018, even though the National Institute of Nutrition, which works under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, had mandated serving of eggs in mid-day meals, 11 BJP-ruled states at the time — Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan , Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur — did not comply with it.
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