Mumbai: Fourteen states and Union Territories (UTs) provide eggs to school students under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, according to data shared by the education ministry with Lok Sabha on Monday, during the ongoing budget session of Parliament on Monday.
Of the 14 states and UTs, six states provide eggs as part of mid-day meals once in a week; four, twice a week; and two, thrice a week, Andhra Pradesh provides eggs in mid-day meals five days a week and Tamil Nadu, daily.
Under the scheme, the one-time hot cooked meal should be of 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for primary classes (1 to 5) students and the meals should have energy of 700 calories and 20 grams for upper primary (6 to 8) classes students.
Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a written reply in response to questions by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MPs Amol Ramsing Kolhe and Supriya Sule, said, “The States and UTs fix their menu according to their local needs, in order to meet the prescribed nutritional content. Some States and UTs provide eggs as additional items with their own resources.”
Egg in mid-day meal in various states |
