Dietary norms and exclusion of eggs in school lunches called midday meals have been a source of constant tussle between governments, students, and faith groups. In December 2021, a student from Karnataka, India, voiced the opinions of those opposing the religious politics surrounding midday meals. Earlier that month, religious leaders from Lingayat and Jain communities — both lactovegetarians — called for removal of eggs from the meals on grounds that it is insensitive to their religious sentiments.
Students disagreed. The school girl stood amid a sea of protesting youngsters, pointing her finger at the camera, she fiercely said: “We want eggs and bananas. You do whatever you want. Else we will come to the matha [religious learning centers attached to temples] and eat there.”
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Since 2001, children attending a public or government-aided school till the upper-primary level are legally entitled to a daily hot meal of locally cooked pulses, rice, chapati, or vegetables, and milk or eggs on some days; a total of 700 calories and 20 grams of protein. In 2021, nearly 118 million children in 1.12 million schools were provided midday meals.
While school closures due to the pandemic severely disrupted provision of midday meals, right-to-food activists interviewed said that most of what is prescribed has been missing from children’s plates for a long time. In particular, eggs — often the only animal-source food in school lunches — have been excluded due to pressure from religious groups in many parts of India.
The agenda of faith-based organizations and Hindutva groups imposing vegetarianism is antithetical to the objective of this scheme, which is to deliver nutritious meals to students, according to experts. Advocates emphasized that school meals can have long-term benefits only if the implementation is grounded in nutritional science and local needs, has developmental outcomes as the goal, and ensures people’s right to food.
India was ranked 101 on the Global Hunger Index in 2021, behind all its South Asian neighbors. India had more than 3.2 million severely and moderately acute malnourished children as of October 2021. Nearly 36% of Indian children under 5 are stunted and 32.1% are underweight, according to India’s fifth National Family Health Survey.
“It’s not that eggs are the only source of protein, but it is definitely a very efficient way of packing a lot of protein into something that is small, affordable, easy to transport and cook,” Purnima Menon, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, told Devex. Around 100 grams of boiled eggs can provide 12 grams of protein, making it “a perfect little package of nutrients.”
“The choice that is offered is: If you eat eggs and meat, we will treat you as somehow polluted, dirty, and disgusting.”
— Sylvia Karpagam, an independent public health researcher and scientistWhile the aim of the midday meal scheme has been to increase enrollment and reduce child malnutrition, a study by IFPRI showed that if properly implemented, the scheme can have intergenerational nutritional benefits. School meals can contribute to and impact later fertility decisions, future access to health care, and reduce the risk of undernutrition in the next generation.
The study concluded that investments made in school meals in previous decades are associated with improvements in future growth.
Sylvia Karpagam, an independent public health researcher and scientist, said religious and charitable organizations should remember that the midday meals scheme is not charity but the right of the child. Many such contractors catering the meals instead use their platforms to attract donations and promote their world views.
According to Karpagam, the roots of who is undernourished and how, is a function of systemic inequality. She explained, the source of opposition to eggs — or any dietary restrictions — comes from India’s caste system built on notions of purity and pollution.
“There is this non-negotiable presumption that we are all vegetarians and we must eat vegetarian food. But that is not the case,” she said. Only 30% of women and 22% of men are vegetarians, according to the fourth National Family Health Survey, and about 60% of Indians are not vegetarians, Pew Research Center’s survey showed.
Most government food programs — including the midday meals — largely provide rice and wheat, which is insufficient for the growth of a child. Poor protein intake can cause stunting; giving kids a few eggs a week can make all the difference. Yet, most children do not get enough nutrients in school meals.
The majority of states — some of which have the lowest nutritional indicators — governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and their allies do not provide eggs in meals, according to data collected in 2018.
Not just local governments, but organizations such as the Akshaya Patra Foundation, run by International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which have been contracted to provide midday meals, do not provide eggs either. They supply meals to 1.8 million schoolchildren in 12 states and two union territories. However, in keeping with their religious beliefs, they provide vegetarian meals without onion and garlic.
Shridhar Venkat, CEO at APF, said in an email interview that their meals are in strict compliance with the recommended dietary allowance, and provide a nutritious meal to their beneficiaries.
“If any state government wants to supplement mid-day meals with eggs through another agency, we do not have any objection,” Venkat told Devex.
Venkat also added that APF recipes are “developed [by] taking into consideration the feedback obtained from the children and school authorities on a regular basis. This feedback suggests that by and large children are satisfied with the taste of food we supply.”
“Even where faith-based organizations may aid in service delivery, such organizations have to stay within the state's nutritional guidelines for the programs.” Menon pointed out. Apart from APF, faith-based organizations such as Isha Education, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation, and Navasrushti International Trust are among those who cater midday meals.
Right-to-food activist Sachin Jain, who is based in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has seen dominant caste groups lobby political parties and government departments over the years. In states like Madhya Pradesh, where India’s marginalized groups, called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, comprise over 36% of the population, eggs are nowhere in the midday meals.
“The difference is in the scientific temper and understanding [within communities opposing this],” Jain observed. “Okay, you don’t want eggs in midday meals. But have you provided an alternative to manage malnutrition or to improve the nutritional security of children?”
Nearly 4.7 million tribal children across India suffer from chronic nutrition deprivation that has lifelong impacts. Data show 80% of these chronically undernourished tribal children live in just eight states: Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan. All of these states, except for Jharkhand and Odisha, have neither provided nor only recently included eggs in midday meals.
The development sector has to communicate with different groups and bring political representatives of tribal and Dalit communities on the table, Jain suggested.
Despite the opposition from some quarters, since late 2021, the Karnataka government has continued to provide 46 eggs per academic year per student in eight districts, said Vishal R., commissioner for public instruction in Karnataka.
“Everyone, including politicians, know it is nutritious. The larger question is whether 46 is enough or you need to give more,” he said. Attendance in schools improved since eggs were introduced, and evaluation and monitoring is underway to understand the nutritional outcomes, he added.
The guidelines laid down by the government focus on providing nutritious meals, which are palatable, locally cooked, and acceptable, Veena Shatrugna, former deputy director of National Institute of Nutrition pointed out. In addition to the poor quality of food, such as watery dals served in meals, blanket exclusions, and centralized kitchens further remove the food from children’s cultural context and do not fulfill nutritional requirements.
“We [the state] are playing with the future of these children,” she said.
Karpagam explained that traditional diets of Dalit and tribal communities are nutritious and made from locally available ingredients. However, such cuisines include animal-sourced proteins, meat, and fats that are unpalatable to upper castes.
Religious vegetarians in India consider meat and eggs as polluted, and do not often share meals with, or eat, at homes where dietary practices are different. Nearly 54% of Hindus and 76% of Jains in a Pew Research Center survey said they would not eat food at homes where people had different religions and food habits than theirs.
Lactovegetarian groups, such as Brahmins, Lingayats, and Jains, claim consuming eggs hurts their sentiments. They comprise a minority, but are wealthier and have outsized influence on policy due to the power they hold. Beef is banned for consumption in several Indian states on religious grounds. Cow is a sacred animal for several Hindu castes, though many were found to be involved in beef exports, which rose in the last few years. Activists and experts point out such biases are carried into policies, the public sphere, and everyday life.
In several fact-finding missions, Karpagam said she saw Dalit and tribal children discriminated against, harassed, and bullied in school for bringing eggs, meat, or fish from home. In December 2021, upper-caste students in schools in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand boycotted meals made by Dalit cooks.
Such imposed vegetarianism removes children’s diets from the cultural context they are in, Shatrugna noted.
“You need to take an inclusive, rights-based approach in policymaking and consider the cultural significance of different foods in tribal and Dalit communities,” said Jain, the activist. It’s not just about the meal, but it is also preserving the cultural and food diversity of different communities, he added.
Moreover, in a country where a majority of the people can’t afford fruits and vegetables, vegetarianism depends on one’s caste and class location.
The dominant castes, while a minority, are wealthier and can afford a diverse diet including milk, yogurt, clarified butter, paneer, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and pulses.
Oil and fats improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins but these food items, such as clarified butter, are largely unavailable and unaffordable to most Dalit and tribal communities, Shatrugna observed.
Karpagam pointed out, “Currently, the choice that is offered is: If you eat eggs and meat, we will treat you as somehow polluted, dirty, and disgusting. So, you adopt our cultures and become malnourished.”
Devex, with support from our partner GHR Foundation, is exploring the intersection between faith and development. Visit the Focus on: Faith and Development page for more. Disclaimer: The views in this article do not necessarily represent the views of GHR Foundation.