West Bengal government engages ISKCON for school midday meal scheme in Kolkata
West Bengal's government has partnered with ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, to provide cooked meals in schools across the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area. Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, have criticized the move, claiming it is an attempt by the BJP government to impose vegetarianism and remove eggs from the midday meal menu. Derek O’ Brien, a Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP, expressed concern that children would be deprived of nutrition. However, ISKCON spokesperson Radharaman Das stated that the meals will not contain eggs but will include other vegetarian protein sources. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the move and increased the midday meal allocation per student from ₹6.86 to ₹10.
1 JUL 2026
— Al Jazeera
The West Bengal government removed eggs from the midday meal scheme, sparking debate about nutrition and politics.
4 JUL 2026
— BBC
West Bengal's new BJP government initiated a pilot program to replace eggs in school lunches with vegetarian alternatives, sparking controversy.
17 JUL 2026
— Indian Express
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced ISKCON's expansion of midday meal distribution to Kolkata schools and Nadia district, starting August 1st.
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