Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
In India, the national human rights authority is probing accounts of more than 100 pupils becoming unwell after consuming a school midday meal that contained a deceased serpent.
Despite removing the expired creature from the fare, the chef is said to have proceeded to distribute the meal, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Food Safety Concerns in Mokama
The NHRC reported that approximately 500 children may have eaten lunch in Mokama, a city in Bihar state, eastern India.
Following numerous health issues, community protests outside the school blocked a major road in response to the situation the NHRC has highlighted.
A Violation of Student Rights
“The council acknowledges that if these claims are accurate, they signify a grave infringement of the pupils’ human rights,” the NHRC remarked.
The NHRC’s directive instructed state senior administrators to present a “comprehensive report” within a fortnight, encompassing the “current condition of the children.”
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme
The Mid-Day Meal program, offering complimentary school lunches, was launched in the southern city of Chennai, previously known as Madras, in 1925. This initiative targeted underprivileged children.
One of the most extensive of its kind globally, the scheme aims to tackle malnutrition and encourage class attendance. However, there have been repeated allegations of substandard food cleanliness.
Previous Incidents Relating to Food Safety
In 2013, spoiled sustenance was attributed to the demise of 23 schoolchildren in Bihar state, and scientific analysis discovered “extremely toxic” quantities of pesticide in the school meal.