Eggs remain on Kolkata mid-day meal menu; SHGs to provide alongside ISKCON meals

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said eggs will continue to be served in mid-day meals in Kolkata schools, even as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) takes over the preparation of cooked meals in many schools. The clarification follows weeks of speculation and political criticism over whether the state government's decision to involve ISKCON would mean removing eggs from the menu.

Addressing reporters at the state secretariat, Mr. Adhikari said that from August 1, as a pilot project, 'satvik' and protein-rich meals prepared by ISKCON would be provided to children in large parts of Kolkata. He added that eggs would be provided separately through self-help groups (SHGs), ensuring that children receive adequate protein. “Along with that, eggs will be provided to children through SHGs so that we can provide protein-rich meals to our future generations,” he said.

Earlier, the announcement that ISKCON would supply meals had raised concerns among opposition parties and civil society, with former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others questioning whether children would be deprived of eggs. Critics also described the move as an attempt by the BJP-led state government to impose vegetarianism. Wednesday's announcement appears to address those concerns by retaining eggs in the meal plan, but through a different channel.

Mr. Adhikari also announced that the state government has increased the mid-day meal allocation from ₹6.78 to ₹10 per student per day. He was speaking after distributing grants to 80,375 government and government-aided schools under the Samagra Shiksha Mission. He further said that all teacher vacancies in state-run schools would be filled, and that about 50,000 new teachers would be appointed.

The teacher recruitment process comes against the backdrop of a major cash-for-jobs scandal that surfaced during the previous Trinamool Congress regime. Several government officials and party leaders were arrested in connection with alleged corruption in the hiring of teachers and non-teaching staff. The current government has stated that it will ensure transparency in the new recruitment drive.

While the state government has positioned the ISKCON partnership as a step to provide nutritious, culturally acceptable meals, the separate arrangement for eggs through SHGs is seen as a compromise that balances the religious sensitivities of some communities with the nutritional needs of growing children. The pilot project will be closely watched to see how it operates in practice, especially regarding the supply chain and quality of meals.