Children at a government school in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district were served mid-day meals on scrap paper instead of plates, prompting the suspension of a school official for negligence after videos of the incident went viral, exposing glaring lapses in hygiene and oversight under the government’s mid-day meal scheme.
Videos circulating on social media show students at the Government Middle School in Hullpur village, under Vijaypur block, sitting on the ground in the open, eating their meals placed on pieces of waste paper. There was no shelter overhead, and no utensils were used to serve the food.
The incident reportedly took place over several days before coming to light on 4 November, when the video went viral. Officials said students had been eating off scrap paper for nearly a week due to a shortage of utensils and staff.
According to district authorities, the self-help group (SHG) responsible for preparing and distributing the meals had been functioning with only three of its five members. The remaining staff allegedly decided to serve food on old sheets of printed and packaging paper to save time spent washing plates.
Acting on the report, Sheopur District Collector Arpit Verma ordered disciplinary action. “The conduct was inhumane and unacceptable,” Verma said, directing the immediate suspension of the school in-charge for dereliction of duty. The administration also cancelled the SHG’s contract for violating hygiene and safety norms.
A formal inquiry conducted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) confirmed the allegations. The inquiry report led to the termination of the SHG’s tender and a show-cause notice being issued to the school principal for negligence. Verma further instructed officials to conduct regular inspections of all schools and Anganwadi centres to ensure hygienic implementation of the mid-day meal scheme.
The incident has exposed serious gaps in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) scheme, which is meant to provide nutritious, cooked meals to children studying in government and aided schools across the country.
According to official data, as of 6 November, mid-day meals were served in 87,567 out of 88,299 schools across Madhya Pradesh, leaving 732 schools without meals that day.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had pledged to improve the quality of school meals in its 2023 Assembly election manifesto, promising more nutritious and hygienic food. The departments of
Panchayat, Women and Child Development, and School Education had also discussed proposals to introduce tetra-packed milk and enhance dietary standards under the PM Poshan scheme.
