by 
International Desk | May 2, 2025: India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has launched an investigation following reports of over 100 children falling ill after consuming food from a mid-day meal program at a school in Mokama, Bihar.
The NHRC received complaints alleging that a dead snake was found in the food, which was still served to students, according to a BBC report.
On Thursday, May 1, the NHRC issued a statement confirming the incident, noting that the contaminated food was served to at least 500 children. Several students fell ill after consuming the meal, prompting local residents to stage road blockades in protest. The NHRC described the incident as a “serious violation of the students’ human rights” if proven true.
The commission has demanded a detailed report from senior state officials within two weeks, including updates on the health of the affected children.
This is not the first instance of such an incident in India. The mid-day meal program, initiated in 1925 in Madras (now Chennai), aims to boost school attendance and address hunger among children from low-income families. However, the program has faced recurring criticism over food quality and safety.
In 2013, a similar tragedy in Bihar saw 23 schoolchildren die due to food poisoning caused by pesticide contamination in a mid-day meal. The recurrence of such incidents highlights ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety and nutritional quality of meals provided under the scheme.
AI/MR
.webp)
.jpeg)
.jpg)
0 coment rios: