Including eggs in the diet would be the best way to tackle malnutrition: Minister BC Nagesh
Including eggs in the diet would be the best way to tackle malnutrition: Minister BC Nagesh
The government will identify external agencies to provide eggs in schools where ISKCON supplies mid-day meals under its Akshaya Pathare scheme. School Education and Literacy Minister BC Nagesh on Tuesday said that including eggs in the diet would be the best way to tackle malnutrition.
While the Finance Department has given its consent to provide eggs to schools in all districts of Karnataka for 46 days in a year, the government’s order on this is still pending.
Talking to reporters at the Press Club, Mr. Nagesh said, “Not only in India, but in the whole world, the arrangement of food is a matter of debate. There are many countries where people do not even consume milk. There are generations. But at present, this (the issue of eggs) is the best we can do to eradicate malnutrition. In places where ISKCON supplies food, other people will be ordered to supply eggs.
He further said that students in rural areas have more nutritional needs. He said there is also a greater need for teachers in smaller towns and villages as now more than 40,000 students from Bengaluru have moved to smaller towns and cities during the pandemic.
syllabus
Among other things, he also spoke about the elements that should be added to the educational curriculum for children. “Real Indian history should be taught to children in schools. While we have 6,000 years of history, only 200 years of history is being taught. Every child should know the history of the country as it naturally inculcates love for the country,” he said. He said that moral education should also be a part of education to inculcate social responsibility in the students. “Education is not just for employment, but for living life in the society and being responsible towards it.”
madrasas
The minister also said that there is a demand from the community to include various subjects in madrasas like in Uttar Pradesh. He mentioned that there has been a sharp drop in attendance in Urdu schools of the state as the students there also want to go to regular schools and learn English, Science and Mathematics. He said that in future, steps would also be taken to make it mandatory for madrasa-going students to attend regular classes.
‘Just talk to corporations’
Following repeated complaints from students about buses not stopping at designated places, the minister said he would hold talks with the managing directors of BMTC and KSRTC to resolve the problems.