The Karnataka government has initiated an inquiry in response to allegations by a parent that his daughter was forced to consume eggs by her teacher during midday meal at a government school in Shivamogga. The incident came to light when the girl complained to her father over the issue, it is said.
The child’s father, Srikanth, said that his daughter became unwell after being allegedly 'force-fed' eggs for over a week at the KPS Primary School in Amrita village of Hosanagara taluk in Shivamogga district. Srikanth, a Brahmin, accused the school administration of offending the religious sentiments of his community. However, the teacher named in Srikanth’s complaint refuted the accusations, stating that his intention was solely to encourage the child to adopt a healthy eating habit.
The family's complaint has been forwarded to Karnataka Minister for Education Madhu Bangarappa, the Principal Secretary, the Deputy Director of the Education department, and the local MLA. As part of the inquiry, the Block Education officer visited the school on Thursday, November 23. They said that according to the preliminary investigation, the child herself had requested eggs and not been coerced.
According to media reports, the preliminary investigation says that the girl raised her hand when the teacher asked the students who wanted an egg. It said that no student was forced to eat eggs.
“We have taken the matter seriously, but based on the information we received, the student was not force-fed eggs. We will check the report given by the block education officer, and if there is any violation of the rules, we will take severe action against the concerned teachers,” Deputy Director of Public Education Department (Shivamogga) Parameshwarappa CR told PTI.