Total 674 Children Fell Ill From Contaminated Mid-Day Meals In Five Years: Govt.

Summary of this article

Eleven contaminated mid-day meal incidents reported in six states over five years, affecting 674 children.

Centre outlines strict guidelines on food quality, hygiene, testing and monitoring under PM Poshan Scheme.

States and UTs responsible for implementation; over Rs 30,000 crore allocated for 2025-26.

The Union Education Ministry has reported that 674 schoolchildren across six states fell ill in 11 incidents of contaminated mid-day meals over the past five years, prompting renewed scrutiny of food safety practices under the PM Poshan Scheme.

In a written reply in Parliament, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said that 11 such incidents were recorded over the last five years under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) Scheme.

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