‘Can disrupt hormone function’; Committee in Karnataka to avoid meat in school lunches

Karnataka’s National Education Policy Committee (NEP) has called for non-vegetarian food to be avoided in school lunches across the country. This proposal was put before the government citing the reason that eating eggs or meat causes illness. The BJP government in the state is of the view that there is no need for controversy in the suggestion that eggs and meat should not be included in school lunches. Karnataka Minister CN Aswat Narayan said that the suggestion given by the committee can be discussed and the people can accept what is good and the government is always the people’s party.

An eight-member committee headed by John Vijay Sagar, Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Nimhans, submitted the proposal titled ‘Health and Welfare’. Given the small body composition of Indians, excess energy from cholesterol through regular consumption of eggs and meat contributes to lifestyle diseases. According to the report issued by the committee, studies conducted across the country indicate that meat consumption impairs human function.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2019-21, meat consumption is increasing in India. According to the survey, more than 83 percent of men and 71 percent of women in the age group 15-49 eat non-vegetarian food. From the previous survey, it was 5 percent more among men and 1 percent more among women on non-vegetarian food. More than 80 percent of people in Karnataka eat eggs or meat.

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