Bengal Drops Eggs From Mid-Day Meals: How School Meal Menus Differ Across States

Published 30 June 2026 · local

Bengal Drops Eggs From Mid-Day Meals: How School Meal Menus Differ Across States Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 23:50 IST The midday meal

Bengal Drops Eggs From Mid-Day Meals: How School Meal Menus Differ Across States Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 23:50 IST The midday meal programme, now known as PM POSHAN, sets nutritional benchmarks but allows states to decide their menus. Rapid Read Eggs will be replaced with protein-rich alternatives such as paneer, soya, rajma and pulses, in Bengal. (Representative image) The debate over including eggs in school mid-day meals has resurfaced after the West Bengal government decided to entrust the preparation of meals in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which serves only vegetarian food. As a result, eggs will no longer be part of the centrally prepared meals and will be replaced with protein-rich alternatives such as paneer, soya, rajma and pulses.

The move has triggered political criticism, with the state government indicating it may follow Odisha’s model, under which schools receive separate funds to purchase and distribute eggs independently while vegetarian agencies continue preparing the main meal. Eggs Served In 13 States The midday meal programme, now known as PM POSHAN, sets nutritional benchmarks but allows states to decide their menus. Consequently, school meals differ across the country. According to a report in Moneycontrol, the number of states serving eggs has declined from 16 in 2015-16 to 13 in 2025-26. States including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Tripura and Uttarakhand continue to provide eggs regularly as part of school meals. In contrast, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Delhi largely serve vegetarian menus. Maharashtra has stopped state funding for eggs, requiring schools to arrange alternative funding if they wish to continue serving them.

Bengal’s Move Sparks Political Row The decision has sparked a political row in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien questioned whether religious dietary preferences should influence a publicly funded nutrition programme. The Institute of Nutrition (NIN) states that eggs have a protein bioavailability of about 94%, compared with approximately 76% for Bengal gram and 54% for soybean, while also providing essential amino acids, vitamins and micronutrients vital for children’s growth and development. Defending the move, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said, “We are giving the responsibility of cooking mid-day meals to ISKCON. If you have an objection, do not say ‘Hare Krishna’ – no one will force you. You will get good food to eat. You will get pure food, nothing to worry about." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.