BHOPAL: A 12-second viral video has exposed the shocking state of mid-day meals in Madhya Pradesh, showing children being served halwa and puri on scraps of waste paper and torn notebook pages during a special meal organised to mark the country’s 77th Republic Day.
In the video, the kids in the government school, Bhatigwan (Maihar) premises can be seen sitting on the floor and having the special Republic Day mid-day meal served in ink-stained dirty paper sheets, which seem to have been torn from notebooks.
According to sources, funds had already been released for plates based on student strength, yet the video shows not a single plate used for the mid-day meal.
With the video going viral, the authorities in Maihar district of eastern MP, became active and initiated action in the matter.
As per official sources in the Maihar district administration, strict action is being initiated. Based on the preliminary investigation report of the district project coordinator (DPC) Vishnu Tripathi, the suspension of the concerned government school’s principal, Sunil Kumar Tripathi, has been proposed to the Rewa divisional commissioner.
Further, one month salary of contractual employee, Pradeep Singh, has reportedly been deducted.
Also, show cause notice has been issued to the Maihar district panchayat’s mid-day meal section in-charge DP Tripathi in the matter.
The matter assumes more seriousness, as serving food on printed or written paper is particularly dangerous for human health, as the printing ink contains Lead and other chemicals, which can leach into hot food, making the kids vulnerable to health problems.
This isn’t the first time mid-day meals at schools and Anganwadi centres of the BJP-ruled state have landed in controversy.
Back in November 2025, children at a government primary school in Hullpur village under Vijaypur block of Sheopur district were reportedly served mid-day meals on scrap paper. The incident had led to the suspension of the concerned school’s principal and termination of the contract of the self-help group responsible for preparing those meals.
Later, in December 2025, another mid-day meal shocker was reported from another part of the state, as multiple video clips showed goats eating mid-day meals from the steel plates alongside the children, outside an Anganwadi centre in Katni district.