Bharat Bandh: Karnataka schools stay open even as 1.2 lakh workers pledge support to strike

Schools across Karnataka will function as normal on Thursday despite the nationwide Bharat bandh called by central trade unions, the Department of School Education and Literacy has clarified, even as authorities scramble to prevent a walkout by nearly 1.2 lakh mid-day meal workers who have pledged support for the strike.

In a statement, Vikas Kishor Suralkar, Commissioner for School Education, reportedly said that educational institutions would remain operational and that district commissioners had been empowered to take appropriate decisions in the event of any untoward incidents.

The assurance, however, comes with a significant caveat. The bandh has drawn support from kitchen staff employed under the PM Poshan Shakti Nirman project, which runs the mid-day meal scheme across Karnataka’s schools.

Officials have been directed to persuade these workers not to participate in the protest, but in the event they do, a departmental note has mandated that schools “must make alternative arrangements” to ensure meals are not disrupted.

The development places district administrations on alert. With 1.2 lakh kitchen workers potentially staying away from duty, schools face a logistical challenge in feeding lakhs of children, a core component of the school day in government and aided institutions.

The Bharat bandh, called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions – including INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, SEWA and AICCTU – is being held to oppose the central government’s four new labour codes, the proposed India–US trade deal and several legislative instruments unions have described as anti-worker and anti-farmer.

Protestors are also demanding the withdrawal of the Draft Seed Bill, the Electricity Amendment Bill and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act.