Yes, Jains can eat curd (yogurt), but with some important conditions and differences in practice.

1. For householders (Śrāvaks / Śrāvikās)

Most Jain laypeople traditionally do eat curd, if they follow these rules:

1. Curd must be fresh

- Made the same day from freshly boiled and cooled milk - Not old, too sour, or fermented for many days - Not commercially stored for long periods if it has become very sour

1. Avoid at night

- Many Jains do not eat curd at night because more tiny living organisms (nigodas) develop in it as time passes, especially in warmth and darkness.

1. Prepared with care

- Vessel and starter (jamun / culture) should be clean. - Covered properly so that extra insects/dust do not fall in.

So: Fresh, same‑day, home‑set curd in small quantity, and preferably not at night is generally accepted for lay Jains.

---

2. For monks and very strict practitioners

• Digambar munis:

Usually do not take milk products like curd, ghee, etc. at all. Their rules are much stricter than those for laypeople.

• Many Śvetāmbara sadhus/sādhvīs:

Often avoid curd (and sometimes most milk products) due to: - High presence of micro‑organisms - Desire to minimize even subtle forms of hiṁsā

Some very strict lay Jains also choose to avoid curd completely for the same reason, as a form of higher vrata (vow), but this is a voluntary extra discipline, not the basic minimum rule.

---

3. Summary

• Allowed for most lay Jains: Yes, fresh, same‑day curd, taken carefully and usually not at night.
• Not preferred / avoided: By monks and stricter Jains due to concerns about micro‑organisms and subtler non‑violence.

So: Basic Jain practice allows curd in a careful, limited, and fresh form; higher practice tends to reduce or avoid it.