Bhopal: Serious concerns have been raised over the state of mid-day meals in several northern states, particularly Madhya Pradesh, where disturbing visuals have emerged from a government school showing students being served food on metal scrap pieces instead of proper plates. The incident highlights glaring lapses in hygiene, nutrition, and accountability within one of India’s most crucial welfare schemes for children.
Scrap used as plates for meals
In the viral video reportedly shot at a government primary school in rural Madhya Pradesh, children can be seen sitting in lines on the floor, eating their midday meal from pieces of scrap metal—discarded sheet parts or torn steel containers repurposed as makeshift plates. The sight has drawn widespread outrage on social media, prompting calls for a high-level investigation into how such negligence was allowed to occur.
Parents and local residents allege that the school authorities failed to provide basic utensils and that neither the district administration nor the education department had conducted timely inspections. A parent was quoted as saying that the children often eat meals lacking proper hygiene and nutritional value.
Poor hygiene and lack of nutrition
According to several on-ground reports and NGO assessments, mid-day meals in northern states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar continue to fall far short of national standards. Meals are often found to be poorly cooked, lacking vegetables, pulses, or proteins, and served without basic cleanliness.
Nutrition experts have pointed out that such conditions defeat the very purpose of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) — a flagship government initiative designed to improve child nutrition, school attendance, and learning outcomes. The programme, renamed as PM POSHAN in 2021, aims to serve balanced meals to over 11.8 crore students across India’s government and government-aided schools.
However, field-level implementation remains a major challenge. A recent Right to Food campaign report indicated that over 60% of surveyed schools in central India lacked proper kitchen infrastructure, while one in five schools had no functional utensils or plates.
Official response and public outrage
Following public outrage, the Madhya Pradesh Education Department has ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought an explanation from local school authorities. Officials have assured that new utensils will be supplied and that disciplinary action will be taken against those found responsible for the negligence.
Opposition parties and activists have strongly criticised the state administration, calling the incident “a disgraceful failure of governance.” Child rights activists have also demanded periodic monitoring and third-party audits of the scheme to prevent such lapses in the future.
A senior child welfare advocate commented, “This is not merely about one school — it reflects the larger systemic neglect of rural education and child welfare. When children are made to eat from scrap, it symbolises how the system treats their dignity.”
The larger issue of accountability
Experts note that while the central and state governments allocate significant funds towards mid-day meals, leakages, poor monitoring, and lack of coordination between departments often compromise food quality and safety.
Nutritionists stress that malnutrition among children in Madhya Pradesh remains alarmingly high, with National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data showing that over 39% of children under five are stunted and 33% are underweight. School meals, therefore, are a lifeline for millions of children who otherwise may not receive a nutritious meal at home.
To ensure improvement, experts recommend digital attendance tracking for meal delivery, regular quality inspections, nutritional audits, and community participation in monitoring.
Conclusion
The incident in Madhya Pradesh serves as a stark reminder of the gaps in welfare delivery and the urgent need to restore dignity and safety to one of India’s most vital social welfare schemes. For the millions of children dependent on school meals, food should symbolise care and nourishment — not neglect and indignity.