Overview
- The state government has assigned large-scale PM POSHAN meal preparation in the Kolkata area to ISKCON/Akshaya Patra, which serves strictly vegetarian food, and has removed eggs from centrally prepared lunches.
- Menues for centrally prepared meals will swap eggs for plant and dairy proteins such as paneer, soya, rajma and pulses according to government and supplier statements.
- Nutrition experts note eggs provide highly bioavailable protein and key micronutrients, with the National Institute of Nutrition citing about 94% protein bioavailability for eggs, and they warn vegetarian substitutes may be harder to standardise.
- Opposition leaders and critics say the move looks like an imposition of vegetarian norms tied to the new BJP government and have accused officials of depriving children of nutrition.
- The decision follows a wider decline in states funding eggs for midday meals and could be modified by adopting Odisha’s model of separate egg funding for schools; the change affects nearly 12 million pupils and the rollout and policy details remain under active discussion.