UP School Head Teacher Suspended for Diluting Midday Meal Milk with Water
A head teacher at a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district has been suspended after a video surfaced showing midday meal milk being heavily diluted with water. The incident has sparked outrage and prompted immediate action from education authorities.
Viral Video Exposes Milk Dilution Incident
The controversy erupted when a video clip went viral on Friday showing a cook at the primary school in Dikhwaha, Mahoba, mixing two packets of milk—each containing 0.5 liters—into a bucket full of water. The diluted mixture was then allegedly distributed to school children as part of their midday meal.
Basic Shiksha Adhikari of Mahoba, Rahul Mishra, confirmed that the incident occurred on Wednesday. "An inquiry by the block education officer found that children were given the same milk which was mixed with water," Mishra stated. "We have suspended the head teacher and a detailed probe is underway."
Immediate Action and Ongoing Investigation
The education department responded swiftly to the viral video, suspending head teacher Monika Soni, who holds responsibility for the midday meal program at the school. Mishra emphasized that the investigation would be thorough, adding, "If irregularities are found in the probe, stern action will be taken against those responsible."
This suspension highlights the serious consequences for compromising the nutritional integrity of school meal programs designed to support children's health and development.
Pattern of Midday Meal Irregularities in Uttar Pradesh
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in Uttar Pradesh. Similar cases of midday meal irregularities have been reported across the state in recent years:
- In October 2021, five liters of water was mixed with just two liters of milk at a government school in Meerut.
- In November 2019, one liter of milk was diluted in a bucket of water and served to 81 children at a government school in Sonbhadra.
- In August 2019, a viral video from Mirzapur showed a woman distributing only rotis and salt to children as their midday meal at a primary school.
Importance of the Midday Meal Scheme
The government's midday meal scheme, now rebranded as PM Poshan, aims to improve nutritional levels among schoolchildren attending state-run schools across India. The program represents a crucial intervention to address malnutrition and support educational outcomes by ensuring children receive at least one nutritious meal during their school day.
Incidents of dilution and adulteration directly undermine these important public health objectives and raise serious questions about implementation oversight at the local level.
The suspension of the Mahoba school head teacher serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in maintaining quality standards in school nutrition programs and the need for vigilant monitoring to prevent such violations.
