Kalaburagi: At least 80% of students in government and aided schools in seven districts and Bijapur Karnataka Kalyana-more like boiled eggs during mid-day meal.
This is a major discovery of an informal survey conducted by the principal on the 26th and 27th of November to obtain the views of students about the food choices at lunch.
The survey recorded the height and weight of school children to assess the nutritional benefits of eating eggs and these data will be analyzed in January, sources said.
Of the nearly 15 lakh children surveyed in training two days, more than 12.5 lakh children voted in favor of the egg.
With the aim to improve nutrition among children, the government has recently introduced the eggs or bananas as part of a mid-day meal in seven districts and backward Kalyana-karnataka and Bijapur districts.
The state now plans to extend the program to grades 9 and 10 children after school development and monitoring committee submitted a request to the administration.
Nalini Atul, Additional Commissioner, Department of Public Instructions, Kalaburagi Division, told TOI Project Approval Board has given the green signal to give 46 eggs per child in this region to the rest of the academic year based on the total number of children the previous year.
“This year has seen an increase of 2% in the reception.
In our survey, nearly 13 lakh kids are willing to eat the eggs,” he added.
According to a circular from the department of elementary and secondary education, 14.4 lakh students will have a choice of eggs or bananas during the mid-day meal from December 1 this year to 30 March next year.
“Students in grades 1 to 8 will receive 12 eggs or bananas in a month on school days,” said the circular.
In Matmarari School Government in Raichur, 125 of 135 children in grade 8 eggs are preferred.
Headmaster Vishwanath Reddy said 125 eggs at this time served.
Sanjeeva government school Rayana Ballari Kote, of 437 students, only 5-10 bananas are preferred.
Bavihalli government school in the district of Vijayanagara, 140 of the 155 children prefer to have eggs at lunch.
Shankar Chauhan, a government school principal from Bidar, said 120 of the 170 children at the school in Bhalki Taluk rooted in hard-boiled eggs.
VP Niranjanaradhya education experts say the data collected is “referendum” on the implementation of the eggs.
“The government should expand the project across the country.
Any attempt to make scuttle it denies the rights of children who want to eat eggs,” he said.