MP School Sparks Outrage Over Meals on Scrap Paper
A viral video from Sheopur district showing children eating mid-day meals served on scrap newspaper sparks widespread outrage, prompting inquiries and political criticism.
SHEOPUR ( Madhya Pradesh )- A disturbing video from a government primary school in Hullpur village has triggered widespread public anger after showing young children being served mid-day meals on torn pieces of scrap newspaper. The incident, reported on November 6, has exposed glaring administrative lapses in one of the country’s largest child nutrition programmes.
The school, located in the Vijaypur block of Sheopur district, showed children sitting on the bare ground outside the school building as a woman from a local self-help group—contracted for meal preparation—served portions of potato gravy and other food items directly onto old newspaper scraps and improvised leaf bowls. Utensils lay unwashed, and neither the principal nor teachers were present during the serving.
The video, which quickly went viral, drew sharp criticism across social media and from political leaders. The episode has intensified scrutiny of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) scheme, which aims to provide clean, nutritious meals to over 100 million schoolchildren across India.
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who shared the video on X while travelling to Madhya Pradesh, condemned the ruling BJP government. In a strongly worded post, he said his “heart is broken” by the treatment of children forced to eat on newspaper scraps, arguing that basic dignity had been denied to them despite more than two decades of BJP rule. Gandhi criticised what he described as systemic neglect and unfulfilled promises, including the party’s 2023 election pledges to improve mid-day meal quality.
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Following the outrage, Sheopur District Collector Arpit Verma ordered an immediate inquiry led by SDM Abhishek Mishra. The report confirmed negligence on the part of the cooking staff and the unexplained absence of the school principal, Bhogaram Dhakad, who was suspended with immediate effect. The contract of the responsible self-help group was terminated, while block-level education officers were issued notices.
Verma called the incident “completely unacceptable,” warning that such behaviour towards children would not be tolerated. Temporary responsibility for mid-day meals has been handed to the nearby secondary school principal, pending the appointment of a new self-help group. The Jila Panchayat CEO has been directed to conduct inspections of all self-help groups associated with the scheme.
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The incident also revives concerns over uneven implementation in Madhya Pradesh. Government data shows that on November 6, mid-day meals were served in 87,567 of the state’s 88,299 schools, leaving 732 without meals—an inconsistency that critics say undermines the programme’s objective of bridging nutritional gaps among children.
Child rights activists and parents in Sheopur have demanded immediate audits, strict accountability, and enhanced monitoring to prevent further lapses. They argue that beyond hygiene concerns, incidents like these undermine public confidence in welfare schemes designed for the state’s most vulnerable children.
As investigations continue, the Hullpur incident stands as a stark reminder of the persistent gap between policy intent and on-ground execution in India’s public education and nutrition systems.
