Students of Shivamogga school denied non-veg food for years; KDSS raises concern
Students at a residential school in Karnataka have been denied non-vegetarian food for years due to local cultural pressures, despite official menu guidelines. Activists are now calling for the school to adhere to the prescribed nutritional standards.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about the intersection of local cultural customs and state-mandated nutritional policies in public institutions.
Students of Morarji Desai Residential School, run by the Social Welfare Department at Hanchina Siddapura in Bhadravathi taluk of Shivamogga district, have not been served non-vegetarian food for several years, in violation of the prescribed hostel menu, reportedly due to a custom imposed by villagers.
The school hosts around 250 students from classes 6 to 10, hailing from various areas within the Shivamogga district. For most of them, consuming non-vegetarian food is a regular part of their dietary habits.
As per the menu prescribed for residential schools run by the department, students are to be served a chicken meal once a week, preferably on Sundays. However, for several years, they have been served only eggs in place of chicken. Many parents are occasionally seen bringing home-cooked non-vegetarian food to serve to their children on the school premises.
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