Rising Egg prices make mid-day meal crisis severe

The Prime Minister’s Potion Shakti Yojana also known as the mid-day meal scheme has been a cause for several controversies ever since its inception. Despite being launched in 2021, it is still overcoming the problems that have been put in its path.

First, there was the much-publicized debate about why even the government was providing eggs in the first place when it could have given them bananas or milk. Second, there were many parents who doubted the quality of eggs that were being provided in schools, they hypothesized that the government was serving low-quality eggs that were actually harming their children instead of serving any nutritional value.

The rising egg prices are making the inclusion of eggs in mid-day meals impossible. According to meal workers, the government has allocated Rs 10, per child but the current egg rates are soaring and almost 20 Rs per child is required. The egg in the meal has been reduced to twice a week.

The soaring prices have also led to the elimination of breakfast options, leaving students without enough energy to go their whole day because growing children require a lot of energy. Midday meal workers are pleading with authorities to address the funding shortfall. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure that these children receive adequate nutrition, but we need support,” begged Asif SK, a worker from Karimnagar.

The Central Government has not even considered revising the mid-day meal rates set in 2016 when the prices of inputs were much lower. The current rate is Rs 40 per week which is becoming impossible to manage, especially since the inclusion of eggs and 300ml of milk. Even though the rice is free the headmasters are having a hard time managing the funds. But because the egg prices have risen so much in the last year alone it’s becoming an issue of food security for students.

The scheme is designed to give students from classes 1-8 mid-day meals in the school to improve their nutritional value. PM Modi also included pre-nursery kids aged 3-5 in this scheme. One essential feature of this scheme was general audits which will accompany this scheme to ascertain whether the funds were being utilized fairly and honestly.

Despite being allocated funds of Rs 12,467 crores in FY-24. There have been calls from many states like Kerala regarding the central government not allocating enough funds.

As the general election of 2024 comes closer, everybody is looking towards the government to fulfill their promises.