Azim Premji Foundation flags lapses in Karnataka school egg distribution scheme

The Azim Premji Foundation has alleged that despite providing ₹1,500 crore in aid, many Karnataka government schools are not serving eggs six days a week as planned, with SDMCs unilaterally replacing eggs with bananas in several cases.

Bengaluru: The Azim Premji Foundation has raised concerns over the improper implementation of the six-day-a-week egg distribution scheme in several government schools across Karnataka. The irregularities, according to the Foundation, are due to unilateral decisions taken by School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs).

Eggs replaced by bananas in many schools 

Despite the scheme mandating eggs to be served six days a week, the Foundation found that eggs are being provided only two or three days a week in many schools. On the remaining days, children are given bananas instead. The discrepancy was discovered during school inspections conducted by the Azim Premji Foundation, which has contributed ₹1,500 crore under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the implementation of this scheme.

Major findings from school inspections 

Upon visiting 762 schools, the Foundation found that 568 of them were not providing eggs as per the scheme's guidelines. In some instances, SDMCs, sometimes with parental consent, have decided to serve bananas on Mondays and Saturdays. In others, the schedule has been altered to three days of eggs and three days of bananas. However, children reportedly prefer receiving eggs.

Memorandum issued; disciplinary action warned 

The Foundation submitted a report to the state education department, which has now issued a memorandum instructing SDMCs to correct their course. The department emphasised that SDMCs do not have the authority to alter the approved nutritional plan on their own.

The PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Director has warned that continued lapses will lead to disciplinary action against school-level supervisors, including headmasters, cluster heads, and taluk and district education officers, who failed to address or rectify the violations.