Eggs being served to students of a Karnataka government school. Nearly 16 States have eggs on the midday meal menu.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
The Maharashtra government’s recent decision to withdraw ₹50 crore in funding for eggs and millet-based sweet dishes in State-run schools under the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM) has sparked criticism.
“Egg pulao and sweet khichdi/naachni satya… are being given in alternative form. The management committee should try to provide the benefits of the two recipes and the sugar required for other recipes through public participation. No additional funds will be provided by the government,” a Government Resolution dated January 28 had stated.
An analysis of data from the State budget for 2024-25 shows that Maharashtra is estimated to spend only 0.04% of its total expenditure of ₹6.12 lakh crore on the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme (PM-POSHAN), which provides nutritious food to schoolchildren.
The Maharashtra government’s spending on PM-POSHAN, including Central grants, has been less than 1% of the total expenditure over the last four years. This share has been steadily on the decline.
The National Food Security Act, 2013 mandates a daily protein intake of 12 gm for primary level students and 20 gm for upper primary level students. The midday meal scheme was envisioned to bring children to school by providing them lunch, thereby encouraging enrolment while solving the problem of malnourishment.
The scheme was later merged with the PM-POSHAN programme, a Centrally-sponsored initiative, in which the Union government bears 60% of the costs and the State government covers the remaining 40%. Nearly 16 States have eggs on the midday meal menu.
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Halted after a year
In Maharashtra, eggs were added to the midday meal menu only in November 2023, nearly two decades after the programme was implemented in the State. Just over a year later, the State has decided to discontinue funding for it.
Maharashtra’s decision to cut costs comes amid maintaining a fiscal deficit to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) ratio below the 3% legal mandate over the past five years, according to data from PRS Legislative Research. The State government had a fiscal deficit to GSDP ratio of 1.9% in 2022-23, the year eggs were introduced in school meals, which was the lowest in five years.
Anna Adhikar Abhiyan, an NGO working on food and nutrition issues, argued that “financial constraints” cannot justify the decision and it is “ironic” that one of the wealthiest States would cut funding for a critical scheme.
Activists pointed out that even the existing funding is “grossly insufficient”.
Data from NITI Aayog’s fact sheet on the State’s nutrition situation show that as of 2019, about 35% of children under the age of five are underweight and 36% stunted. These numbers have stayed more or less the same since 2015-16.
For poor households, purchasing eggs for children can be a significant expense, especially considering the rising trend in food prices. Barring two months, monthly consumer food price inflation has exceeded 8% between November 2023 and December 2024, according to National Statistics Office data.
The Opposition has condemned the decision, with Atul Londhe, spokesperson of the Maharashtra Congress, calling it a clear indication of “financial and mental bankruptcy”.
Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from Worli, echoed this sentiment. “For most students, the midday meal is the only source of nutrition. Once again, this clearly proves that the government belongs to the greedy politicians elected by EVMs. It doesn’t belong to the people, especially the children in schools who have no vote, no voice,” he said.
Published – February 11, 2025 01:11 am IST