RRB
A routine school lunch turned into a health scare in Bihar on Tuesday. At least 34 children fell ill after eating the mid-day meal at a government school in Nalanda district. As a result, questions have again risen about safety in the Bihar mid-day meal system.
The incident took place at Middle School in Parasi under Noorsarai block. Students were served rice and a potato-soybean dish. However, some children complained that the food lacked salt. According to the headmaster, a cook then mistakenly added detergent powder instead of salt.
What Exactly Happened
The school serves meals in more than one sitting. During the second sitting, a student asked for extra salt. The cook allegedly picked up the wrong container. Salt and detergent powder were kept close to each other in the kitchen. Therefore, the mix-up became possible.
Soon after eating, several children felt a burning sensation in the throat. They also complained of stomach pain, dizziness and vomiting. Meanwhile, panic spread inside the school. Teachers quickly arranged first aid. Yet the symptoms did not improve. So the children were rushed to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital.
Officials later confirmed that 17 girls and 17 boys were admitted. In total, 132 students had eaten the meal that day. In addition, two cooks and two teachers had tasted the food before it was served.
Condition of the Children
Civil Surgeon Dr Jai Prakash Singh visited the hospital. He told the media that all the children were stable and out of danger. Doctors treated them for food poisoning symptoms. Meanwhile, parents gathered outside the hospital and waited for updates.
Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar also reached the hospital. He met the children and spoke to the doctors. After that, he directed hospital staff to provide proper care. He also ordered a detailed inquiry into the lapse.
Conflicting Statements
The school headmaster, Shailendra Kumar Singh, accepted that detergent was served by mistake. He said the meal came from a centralised kitchen run by an NGO called Ekta Shakti Foundation.
However, Nalanda District Education Officer Hemchandra later dismissed the detergent claim. He said a full investigation is under way. Therefore, the exact cause will be known only after medical reports and food sample tests are ready.
As a result, this difference in statements has created confusion. Families remain anxious. They still want clear answers about what really entered the children’s food.
Background of the Meal Supply
The mid-day meal at the school is supplied by Ekta Shakti Foundation. The NGO runs a centralised kitchen at Ramghat in Nagarnausa. It provides food to many schools across three blocks. Officials said the kitchen supplies meals to around 23,000 children every day in the area.
Centralised kitchens are common in Bihar under the mid-day meal scheme. The system aims to ensure standard quality and reduce cooking load on individual schools. Yet repeated safety lapses continue to raise doubts about monitoring.
Larger Concerns Around Bihar Mid-Day Meal
This is not the first time children have fallen ill after eating school meals in Bihar. For example, similar incidents have been reported in other districts over the years. Problems range from poor hygiene to foreign objects and wrong ingredients.
Parents and teachers often complain that storage of cleaning material and food items is not properly separated. In addition, training of kitchen staff remains uneven. Meanwhile, surprise checks by officials are limited.
The mid-day meal scheme is meant to fight classroom hunger and improve attendance. However, when safety fails, both nutrition and trust suffer.
What Happens Next
Food samples have been collected for testing. The district administration has ordered a probe. Minister Shravan Kumar has directed surprise inspections in other schools of the district. He also asked officials to train cooks on hygiene and proper storage.
For now, the children are recovering. Their parents, however, want accountability. They want to know how detergent and salt could be kept so close that such a mix-up became possible.
You can read more education and current affairs updates on rrbcontents.com. For official information on the mid-day meal scheme, visit the PM POSHAN portal or the Bihar Education Department website.
The Bihar mid-day meal incident in Nalanda is a reminder. Even small mistakes in the kitchen can put children’s health at risk. Therefore, clear systems, better training and constant checks remain the only way to prevent such scares in future.