The new list will have inputs from governors and party leadership after the previous one was criticised.
On April 25, 2025, over 100 schoolchildren in Mokama, Patna, Bihar, India, became violently ill after consuming a mid-day meal that was reportedly contaminated with a dead snake. The incident occurred at a government school where the cook allegedly removed the snake before serving the meal to approximately 500 students. Despite this, many children experienced severe symptoms, including vomiting and dizziness, leading to at least 24 hospitalizations.
Following the incident, teachers reportedly locked the school and fled, leaving police to transport the sick children to the hospital. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched an investigation and issued notices to local government officials, demanding a detailed report within two weeks. Local villagers protested by blocking the road in response to the incident, highlighting ongoing concerns about food safety in India’s Mid-Day Meal program.
This is not the first such incident in Bihar; a similar case in 2013 resulted in the deaths of 23 students due to pesticide-contaminated food. The Mid-Day Meal initiative, introduced in 1995 to combat child malnutrition and poverty, remains crucial, given India’s high undernourishment and poverty rates.
In a separate incident in May 2023, at least 98 schoolchildren fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal in which a dead snake was allegedly found at a government middle school in Araria district, Bihar. The children were consuming the meal served by an NGO when they noticed the dead snake, leading to panic and hospitalizations.
These incidents underscore the need for stringent safety measures and oversight in the preparation and distribution of mid-day meals to ensure the health and well-being of students.
