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In a significant move, the Karnataka government announced on Tuesday that it will soon start providing six eggs a week to each child as part of the midday meal scheme. Previously, children received two eggs per week under the scheme.
The government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Azim Premji Foundation on Saturday to establish a three-year partnership for the midday meal scheme. The foundation will spend Rs 1,500 crore to distribute eggs to students in state-run schools.
Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said, “The MoU will be signed in the presence of Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and philanthropist Azim Premji, and the initiative will be implemented immediately.”
Calling this a significant achievement of the government, he said, “When I took charge, students up to Class 8 received only one egg per week, which we extended to Class 10 and increased to two eggs weekly. Now, we have raised it to six eggs a week. The MoU will last three years, and if the outcomes are positive, we may consider renewing it.” The minister added that the government has developed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme with a parallel focus on nutrition.
Emphasizing the priority of children’s nutrition, he noted the implementation of schemes like midday meals and nutritious food provision in Anganwadis. He further said the government now provides Ragi malt daily to 5.5 million children every morning, ensuring they receive proper nutrition.
Eggs, chikkis, and bananas are supplementary nutrition foods provided by the state government to boost children’s nutritional levels and enrol more students in government schools.
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