Overview
- On Thursday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed the state has formally entrusted ISKCON with running the Mid-Day Meal programme and set a phased rollout that begins in Kolkata on August 1.
- The government says the move aims to deliver more hygienic, nutritious and corruption-free meals by tapping ISKCON’s experience running community feeding programmes in other cities.
- Adhikari accused the previous Trinamool Congress administration of irregularities in the scheme and said the ISKCON partnership will help prevent similar problems going forward.
- Educationists and public-health experts have pressed the government for details after reports that ISKCON’s vegetarian menu excludes eggs, which nutritionists call an inexpensive, high-quality protein for poorer students.
- The state plans to expand welfare links with other spiritual charities such as the Ramakrishna Math and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, a move that raises questions about accountability, secular oversight and the day-to-day nutrition students will receive.