India's school mid‑day meals strained by soaring egg prices

Rising egg prices, now about Rs 8‑9 per egg, have outpaced government reimbursements in several Indian states, pressuring the national Mid‑Day Meal Scheme. In Karnataka, the allocation of Rs 5 per egg cannot cover market rates, prompting schools to replace eggs with bananas, limit egg distribution to alternate days, or stop serving them entirely. The state government has sought approval to raise the allocation to Rs 8 per egg.

In Telangana, the scheme reimburses only Rs 6 per egg, leaving cooks to cover the shortfall from their own pockets. Workers have begun substituting bananas or biscuit packets for eggs and warned that the shortage could spread to Hyderabad schools unless the reimbursement is increased. Across the region, officials and teachers have stepped in financially to keep meals available, while Tamil Nadu's education minister has proposed adding weekly chicken biryani to its menu.

The situation highlights budgetary gaps in the PM Poshan Scheme as it attempts to maintain nutrition standards for millions of schoolchildren.