Bihar kids to get eggs, fruits in mid-day meal

To combat malnourishment, Bihar government plans to include fruits for vegetarian students and eggs in the mid-day meal for around two crore students, state Education Minister Brishen Patel said here Thursday.

"We will provide eggs to children in mid-day meal to help children get rid of malnourishment," Patel told mediapersons adding that the kids who do not eat eggs will get fruits.

He said the government is finalising a plan to provide eggs to children twice or once in a week.

Boiled eggs would be given to children from class one to eight at around 91,000 Anganwadi Kendra (day care centres) and thousands of middle schools in the state.

According to the revised National Rural Health Mission report - 2012-13, around 80 percent of children below five years of age in Bihar are malnourished.

Amarjeet Sinha, principal secretary, department of social welfare, said the government aims to bring down malnourishment by 20 percent in the next four years.