Latest news with #SDMCs
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Banana or egg? Karnataka to seek parents' consent on midday meal; choice to be taken during school admissions
AI Image (TIL creatives) BENGALURU: The state govt will, from now on, seek parents' consent on food preferences of their wards during school admission, following a controversy over distribution of boiled eggs under the midday meal scheme. The decision comes after some School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs) passed resolutions to withhold eggs on certain days. In the legislative council Monday, BJP's N Ravikumar cited findings from surprise checks by the Azim Premji Foundation which donated Rs 1,500 crore to provide eggs for three years. In a survey covering 762 schools, it found that 568 were infrequently distributing eggs, resulting in the govt issuing notices to SDMCs concerned. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Madhu Bangarappa, school education minister, told the House that some parents restrict children from eating eggs on specific days. 'We have decided to obtain consent from parents on their kids' preferred diet or choice between egg and banana,' he said. 'We are reaching out to parents since children cannot make these decisions.' Denying opposition allegations of fund misuse, Bangarappa said, 'There is no misappropriation. But due to variations in egg prices in the open market, SDMCs retain some part of the funds.' Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Children to be given eggs in school mid-day meal with written consent of parents
The State government will seek the consent of parents before providing schoolchildren eggs as part of the midday meal, Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said on Monday. The written consent, which will be taken shortly, would prevent confusion about the distribution of eggs in schools, he told the Legislative Council in response to a question from BJP member N. Ravikumar. Foundation's findings Incidentally, some SDMCs have passed resolutions not to serve eggs on certain days. This came to light while a report was being put through by Azim Premji Foundation, which has allocated ₹1,500 crore for egg distribution for a period of three years. Of the 762 schools visited by the foundation members, 562 were found to be not distributing eggs properly. 'Recently, in Mandya, a parent threatened to pull out his child from school over the distribution of eggs. So, prior consent from parents will be easier and good since children are underage. Management of egg distribution also becomes easier,' the Minister said. 'Some students are not consuming eggs at all, while some are not consuming it on certain days like Saturday and Monday. Egg consumption among many children had come down during this month of Shravana also,' the Minister pointed out. He also said that the SDMCs are managing the distribution, and taking decisions on the supply of eggs or bananas. For cleaner toilets Answering another question, the Minister said the State government will shortly be announcing revised rates and slabs in the amount that could be used for the maintenance of toilets in schools, so that children or teachers do not end up cleaning them. 'Currently, the SDMCs can use about 10% to hire people to clean toilets. The government proposes to increase this to 30%,' he said. However, Congress member Madhu Made Gowda said that the SDMCs can spent just about ₹10,000 per year and a 30% hike would be too meagre. Members pointed out that in several instance teachers have been unfairly targeted. Responding to the member's concern, the Minister said: 'Not only the maintenance cost will be hiked but a slab system will also be introduced. We will remove the current uniform rates and rates will be fixed based on the student strength in school.' What data shows Meanwhile, data placed before the Council shows that 2,501 toilets in government PU colleges across the State have no water connection, the highest being in Chamarajanagar with 233 toilets followed by Bengaluru North and Bengaluru South with 175 and 173 toilets, respectively.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rising egg demand strains midday meals prog in Belagavi
Belagavi: In Belagavi's govt schools, 68% of students have opted for eggs over bananas under the midday meal scheme. With prices rising to Rs 7 per egg and the govt having fixed Rs 6 per egg, school development and monitoring committees (SDMCs) are struggling to manage the cost difference. In 2021, the BJP-led state govt under then CM Bommai, introduced eggs twice a week, as a pilot scheme, in the midday meals for students from classes 1 to 8, in the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayapura, and Ballari. These seven districts were identified as the most backward in the state. In July 2022, the state govt extended its egg policy to all govt schools across Karnataka. After Sept 2024, Azim Premji Foundation for Development (APF) is providing financial assistance to distribute eggs to govt and aided school children from class 1 to 10 in the state four days a week. The state govt will bear the expenses of egg distribution for the remaining two days. According to the officials of the education department, of the estimated 2.5 lakh children in schools in the Belagavi educational district, 1.7 lakh children consume eggs and 77,000 children consume bananas. In the Chikodi educational district, there are 2.2 lakh children who consume eggs, while there are 1.1 lakh children who consume bananas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Florida: Gov May Cover Your Cost To Install Solar If You Live In These Zip Codes Energy Bill Cruncher Learn More Undo It is noteworthy that the number of children who eat eggs is higher in both educational districts. The non-govt organisations responsible for distributing hot midday meals to children in schools are distributing boiled eggs to children six days a week. The govt will provide a total of six rupees per egg, which includes five rupees for buying an egg, 50 paise for cooking it, 30 paise for peeling the egg, and 20 paise for transporting the egg. But when the price of eggs increases in the market, the burden of the additional price falls on those who purchase the eggs. The education department officials say that fluctuating egg prices have presented some challenges in procurement, with requests for an increase in the budget allocation. Egg prices increase during the rainy and winter seasons. There is less demand for eggs during the month of Shravan, providing an opportunity to compensate for the difference. Laxmanrao Yakkundi, district official of Akshara Dsoha scheme and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Abhiyan, said that egg consumption in schools is increasing, and plans are being formulated by the zilla panchayat to entrust egg procurement to women's self-help groups. It will benefit both women's groups and schools significantly. Photo Name: Middaymeal Caption: The children consuming midday meals in school.
Hans India
26-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
Karnataka Govt to Give Shoes and Socks to 40 Lakh Students in 2025-26
The Karnataka government will give money to buy shoes and socks for many students. About 40 lakh students in classes 1 to 10 in government schools will get one pair of shoes and two pairs of socks. This is part of a big help program called 'Vidyavikas'. The program has Rs 410 crore to help students. Now, Rs 111 crore has been sent to start the work. The money will go using a computer system that knows how many students are there. Local school groups called SDMCs will give the shoes and socks to students. If the weather is not good, schools can give other types of shoes and socks. The shoes and socks must be bought and given in 30 days after the order. The government fixed the price: Rs 265 for classes 1 to 5, Rs 295 for classes 6 to 8, and Rs 325 for classes 9 and 10. If people give extra money, schools can buy better shoes and socks.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rural students in Dakshina Kannada catch up with urban peers in SSLC
Mangaluru: The SSLC-1 results announced on Friday reveal that rural students are performing almost on par with their urban counterparts. While rural students secured a 90.7% pass percentage, with 15,543 students out of 17,142 clearing the exam, their urban peers achieved a 91.8% pass rate, with 9,783 out of 10,654 candidates passing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Teachers and academicians attribute this narrowing gap to improved learning platforms, enhanced infrastructure, increased awareness among parents, and the availability of coaching opportunities in rural areas. A decade ago, the gap was significant, with many rural students unable to clear the SSLC exam compared to urban candidates. An official noted that many rural students not only cleared the exam on their first attempt, but also scored top marks, with some securing over 620 marks. Govt high school teacher Shambhu Shankar from Belthangady said that in the past, urban students consistently outperformed their rural counterparts in the SSLC exam. This gap was largely due to better infrastructure, coaching facilities, and greater awareness among urban parents. In contrast, rural schools lacked basic facilities, and many parents were not well educated, or paid little attention to attendance or academic performance. However, the rural education landscape has significantly improved in recent years. Many parents now have at least basic education, and students often have elder siblings or relatives in higher studies, which motivates them to perform better. While coaching facilities are available in select areas, overall infrastructure and the academic environment in government high schools have improved considerably, he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now DDPI Govinda Madivala said rural schools, especially government and aided ones, are gaining strength. In contrast, many urban students come from migrant families and show less academic interest. Meanwhile, rural students benefit from stricter academic monitoring by parents, teachers, and SDMCs. Girls continue to excel in rural and urban areas. 148 schools with 100% results Out of the 521 high schools in DK, 148 have achieved 100% results . Among these, 48 are govt high schools, and 40 are located in rural areas. Some of these govt schools have consistently scored 100% results for consecutive years. Govt high schools have achieved a total of 87.6% results, while aided high schools achieved 89.8% results. In terms of management-wise results, unaided high schools have secured the first position with 94.6%. Children with special needs performed exceptionally well in the exam. Out of the 273 special children who appeared in the exam, a total 251 passed.
