Eggs Controversy: Years ago, an advertisement jingle urged people to include eggs in their daily meals. A jingle said, "Sunday Ho Ya Monday, Roz Khao Andey," which translates to "Whether it's Sunday or Monday, you should eat eggs every day." The message was to inform people about the nutritional advantages with all the essential vitamins, except vitamin C. Noting the easy procurement and high nutritional efficiency, the government introduced eggs in the midday meal schemes of the schools. However, over the past few years, the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled government has gradually wiped out eggs from the midday meals.
How Did The Controversy Erupt?
The egg controversy erupted shortly after the newly elected BJP government in West Bengal (a non-vegetarian majority state) handed over the preparation of midday meals in Kolkata schools to ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness), and will reportedly no longer serve eggs in midday meals.
The decision was severely criticised by leaders; TMC joint secretary Derek O'Brien on Wednesday called the move a way to impose "vegetarianism" in the state. West Bengal falls under the 15 states and Union Territories that include eggs as a supplementary nutrition under the government's midday meal program.
As per the data, out of 28 states, only 14 states have added eggs in their midday meal in their schools. Out of the 14 states, only 5 states, namely Assam, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Maharashtra, currently have a consistent state-supported egg program in school meals. The numbers show a stark contrast that becomes more crystal clear when compared to the non-BJP-ruled states such as Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and so on.
Three States Removed Eggs After Power Change
Chhattisgarh, Goa, and Maharashtra removed eggs from their midday meals after the BJP gained power in the state. The Congress government, ruled by Bhupesh Baghel, introduced and expanded the distribution of eggs in schools and Anganwadis in 2019. However, in 2023, under the chief ministership of Vishnu Deo Sai, the state informed the Union Ministry of Education that it would discontinue eggs and instead focus on millet-based nutrition programmes.
Goa introduced eggs in 2022 but discarded the protein-rich food after the move invited backlash from sections of society.
In Maharashtra, eggs were limited to only once a week in 2023. However, after the BJP-led Mahayuti government retained power in 2024, state funding for the programme was withdrawn in early 2025. Schools still continue serving eggs, but through state mobilised funds.
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh proposed introducing eggs in midday meals during its brief tenure, but the plan never materialised after the government fell in 2020 and the BJP returned to power.
Southern States Continue To Serve Eggs
Each southern state currently provides eggs in some form through school meals or Anganwadi programs, irrespective of the political party in power. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh all include eggs as part of their nutrition strategy despite being governed by parties with vastly different ideological positions.
The BJP government in Karnataka continued to serve eggs in midday meals in 2021 despite criticism from sections of the Lingayat community and opposition from some party leaders. BJP's Tejaswini Ananth Kumar had argued that eggs were not the only source of nutrition and that the policy discriminated against vegetarian students.
The addition of eggs in children largely depends on the state governments. However, it heavily depends on where they live and who governs it rather than the nutritional value. However, it is important to note that the BJP is not the only party to remove eggs; states such as Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab also excluded eggs from their midday meals while being ruled by other parties.