Jaipur school bans eggs, non-veg in tiffin boxes. Film writer shares school’s message to parents

A Jaipur school has asked parents not to pack eggs and non-veg in tiffin boxes

A prominent school in Jaipur has said that students cannot carry eggs or non-vegetarian food in their tiffin boxes in a move that has divided social media. On May 1, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya sent a message informing parents that their children would no longer be allowed to carry eggs or non-vegetarian food items in their tiffin boxes.

A screenshot of the message was shared on social media platform X by film writer Darab Farooqui, who wondered whether the school had a legal leg to stand on while issuing this diktat.

“Dear parents, please note. Bringing non-vegetarian food (including eggs) in the tiffin is not allowed,” read the message from the school.

Farooqui, best known for his work in films like “Dedh Ishqiya”, told Moneycontrol that the message was sent on an official WhatsApp class group for teachers to communicate with parents. A Jaipur native who is no longer based in the city, Farooqui said that someone in his family received the message.

“I was raised in Jaipur. I inquired with a couple friends who were students of the school to ask if this regulation had existed when they were in school,” he told Moneycontrol. Farooqui’s friends told him that no such rule had existed when they were in school.

“Subsequently, I discovered that this new modification was brought about by a shift in the school's upper administration. It appears that this arbitrary modification was implemented by the new management,” the film writer told Moneycontrol.

He said he also looked through the school brochure to see whether it says anything about this vegetarian policy. The brochure does not mention any such rule. “I'm not sure, though, if the school prospectus makes note of these things or not,” he added.

Very Important:

Here is a question to all the lawyers:

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Can a school have a policy where students can't even bring eggs to the school?

This messege is from a prestigious school from Jaipur: pic.twitter.com/wjWlvE5hvn

— Darab Farooqui (@darab_farooqui) May 1, 2024

“Can a school have a policy where students can't even bring eggs to the school?” he asked.

His question drew mixed responses. Some said that a private institution can implement any rules it wants, but others called the policy discriminatory.

Unless it's a minority institution where faith prohibits such food practices and they've made it clear in institution prospectus itself. ( Ex. Jain Institution )

— NitinS (@nitinsachdeva22) May 1, 2024

For private unaided schools , yes .

For schools run by religious trusts yes.

For government egg in mid day meal was a contention for a very long time.

So state to state rules will have to be checked I presume

— Prakhar Dixit (@dikshit_prakhar) May 1, 2024

I am not a lawyer but I know this much that any institute even private if it is using the state resources and operating under the state( govt) has to abide by the constitution and such discriminatory practices are not allowed, even if it is mentioned in the bye laws or…

— Shachindra Rajavaram (@rshachindra) May 1, 2024

Moneycontrol has reached out to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya for a statement and will update this story once they respond.

In a country where a significant portion of the population follows a plant-based diet, the vegetarian vs non-vegetarian issue is a contentious one. According to a 2023 World Atlas report, 38% of Indians identify as vegetarians. On the other hand, a 2018 BBC report, based on three large-scale government surveys, quoted researchers who estimate that only 20% of the population is actually vegetarian.

However, the issue of serving non-veg food in schools is a controversial one. Some states have stopped distributing eggs in mid-day meals provided to students in government or aided schools.

Recently, food delivery platform Zomato introduced a vegetarian-only fleet of delivery executives who would only carry vegetarian orders. Zomato had initially said its veg fleet would wear green uniforms. However, the green uniforms were rolled back after massive backlash.