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The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Government extends distribution of eggs/bananas to children in pre-primary classes in government schools
The Karnataka government has extended the distribution of eggs and bananas to children in pre-primary classes of government schools from the academic year 2025-26. With this, a total of 1,98,270 pre-primary students in government schools across the State have become beneficiaries of the scheme. Children who do not consume eggs will be given two bananas every day, on all working days. Earlier, eggs and bananas were being provided to only students of class 1 to class 10 of government and aided schools. The State government issued an order on June 5 to distribute eggs and bananas as supplementary nutrition to students in collaboration with the Azim Premji Foundation. Total beneficiaries Till 2024-25, there were 2,619 pre-primary classes in government schools across the State. In view of the huge demand, they were started in 5,000 more government schools from this academic year at a cost of about ₹70 crore. The State's School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) has welcomed the government's move to extend egg/banana distribution to pre-primary students. 'Distribution of eggs/bananas is beneficial for the physical and mental development of young children,' said Umesh G. Gangavadi, president of the SDMC. Last year, groundnut chikkis used to be given to children who did not eat eggs and bananas. However, the government stopped their distribution because the suppliers provided poor quality chikkis. The State government has earmarked a total of ₹755.62 crore this year for the distribution of eggs/bananas to students from pre-primary classes to class 10. With this, 51,61,390 children — 40,47,461 in government schools and 11,13,929 government-aided schools, will be the beneficiaries of the scheme. The foundation signed an agreement with the government last year to provide a grant of ₹1,500 crore for three years for the distribution of eggs/bananas as additional nutrition to government school children. Accordingly, this year, the foundation is providing ₹501.68 crore, and the remaining ₹253.94 crore will be borne by the State government. Emphasis on transparency To ensure transparency in the scheme, the attendance of all children who are in school at 11 a.m. every day is collected and entered in the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS) portal. The headmaster of schools has been instructed to confirm this information with an e-signature through OTP and submit it to the Commissioner of Public Instruction and other department officials. Every day, during morning prayer, the headmaster should inform the students about the nutrients and benefits of eggs and bananas. In addition, at least 10 parents should be invited by the headmaster every week randomly to have midday meals with the schoolchildren. Increase the unit cost In view of the price rise, there has been a demand from teachers of government schools to increase the unit cost given by the government for eggs/bananas. 'An egg costs around ₹6.50 in the market. And, a medium-sized banana costs at least ₹5. However, the government has fixed a unit cost of just ₹6 for an egg/banana. The government has instructed us to provide two good-quality bananas to children who do not eat eggs. At least ₹10 to ₹12 has to be paid for two bananas. This will create a huge financial burden on teachers. Therefore, the government should increase the unit cost of eggs/bananas,' said the headmaster of a government school in Bengaluru.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Revitalised Kuthlur government school all set to reopen on Friday
A portion of the corridor at the government school in Kuthlur village, Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada, features murals of all eight Kannada Jnanpith award recipients, including Kota Shivarama Karanth. Ra. Bendre and Kuvempu. Another section of the corridor features murals of the human body, an Indian map, and portraits of national personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi and Saalumarada Thimmakka. A team of artists led by Sudhakar from Moodbidri has given a new look to the school, which reopens on May 30, Friday. President of the School Development and Monitoring Committee, Ramachandra Bhat, said the school follows the 'Nali Kali' (play and learn) system of teaching primary school students. The mural paintings have been created to support this teaching system. A scene of an aquarium has been painted in a classroom that is scheduled to be turned into a smart classroom. There are paintings related to popular tourist places, such as Mysuru Palace, Halebidu, Vidhana Soudha, and Jog Falls, in another classroom. The solar system has also been painted in a portion of the school building. The exterior of the new toilet, constructed using ₹8 lakh from MRPL's CSR funds, has a painting showing the scene in a village,' Mr. Bhat said. A fresh coat of paint has been applied to the school using funds sanctioned by the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who recently received a bag full of vegetables grown in the school, has donated two computers and a projector to the school. Mr. Siddaramaiah's Press Advisor, K.V. Prabhakar, has donated a pair of uniforms and a bag to each of the 104 school students. BASF India donated books and other materials, worth ₹1 lakh, to students. A function to felicitate all the donors will be held in the school on May 30, Mr. Bhat said. The Dakshina Kannada Union of Working Journalists had conducted its 'village stay' at this school in 2018, acting as a bridge between the government and the people of the village to address their grievances.
Hans India
27-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Rs 11 crore allocated to repair of schools in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi
Mangaluru: With the new academic year approaching, the Karnataka government has approved Rs. 11 crore for repairing government school classrooms in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, ensuring facilities are ready for students by May 29. The repair initiative targets 750 classrooms across 312 schools in Dakshina Kannada, with Rs. 6.97 crore allocated, and 699 classrooms in 228 schools in Udupi, with Rs. 4.11 crore sanctioned. In Dakshina Kannada district, the repairs span 57 schools in Bantwal, 48 in Beltangady, 37 in Mangaluru North, 69 in Mangaluru South, 23 in Moodbidri, 49 in Puttur, and 29 in Sullia. In Udupi district, the work covers 46 schools in Udupi city, 32 in Kaup, 66 in Kundapura, 34 in Karkala, and 51 in Byndoor. The Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPI) for both districts, Ganapathi K (Udupi) and Govinda Madival (Dakshina Kannada), have directed Block Education Officers (BEOs) and head teachers to expedite the repairs and submit completion reports to district headquarters, especially in light of the impending monsoon season. The DDPI offices emphasised the urgency of completing repairs promptly to avoid disruptions. 'The allocated funds must be utilised efficiently to prepare classrooms for the new academic year. Schools are also directed to take monsoon-related precautions while admissions and inspections continue,' stated Ganapathi K. and Govinda Madival. Preparations for the academic year include inspections by head teachers, staff, School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) members, and alumni associations to ensure facilities are functional.
