More than two dozen students at a government middle school in Parasi under Noorsarai police station in Nalanda district fell ill on Tuesday after consuming the school's mid-day meal, officials said. The affected children were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, where doctors treated them and declared their conditions stable.
Immediate response and medical checks
Civil Surgeon Dr Jay Prakash Singh visited the hospital and reviewed the pupils’ health. He said the children were not in a critical state and were being monitored. According to the official report, those who became unwell showed symptoms including dizziness and vomiting. Initial first aid was administered at the school before the students were referred to the district hospital when their condition did not improve.
"All the children were out of danger," Dr Jay Prakash Singh said after examining the students.
Allegations of detergent used instead of salt
School principal Shailendra Kumar Singh told officials the meal supplied on Tuesday — soybean rice provided by an NGO under the prescribed menu — was being served when some pupils complained it tasted bland. Locals and school staff alleged that salt and detergent containers were stored near each other in the kitchen, and that the cook may have inadvertently used detergent in place of salt while preparing the food.
Following the complaints, a number of children began to vomit and feel faint. The school staff gave immediate first aid and then arranged transport to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital for further treatment. Medical staff at the hospital carried out observation and treatment; none of the patients required intensive care, officials said.
Political and administrative follow-up
Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital and spoke with doctors and the families of the affected students. The minister directed a formal inquiry to determine how the lapse occurred during preparation and serving of the mid-day meal, according to the district administration.
Authorities said the meal had been supplied by an NGO operating the midday scheme at the school. The inquiry will look into food-storage practices at the school kitchen, staff training and whether standard operating procedures were followed by the caterer and kitchen staff.
- Location: Middle School, Parasi, Noorsarai police station area, Nalanda district
- Meal served: Soybean rice supplied by an NGO under the mid-day meal programme
- Immediate action: First aid at school; transfer of affected children to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital
Background and wider implications
Mid-day meal safety remains a sensitive issue in Bihar and across India because the programme serves millions of children and is intended to improve nutrition and school attendance. Incidents of food contamination or improper handling raise concerns about monitoring of outsourced food suppliers and the training of kitchen staff in government schools.
Officials emphasised the need for regular checks on storage of consumables and hazardous substances in school kitchens. The district education and health departments are expected to coordinate the probe and report findings to the state authorities. Depending on the outcome, action could include retraining of kitchen staff, disciplinary proceedings against the caterer, and revision of storage and labelling rules to avoid similar mistakes.
Parents and local residents called for swift transparency about the inquiry’s findings and for compensation or remedial support where necessary. School authorities said counselling was being offered to pupils disturbed by the incident and that classes would resume after a short break to allow all students to recover.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Number of students affected | More than two dozen |
| Hospital | Biharsharif Sadar Hospital |
| Meal supplier | NGO (mid-day meal programme) |
The district administration said further updates would be released after the inquiry establishes the sequence of events and any culpability. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in ensuring food safety in large-scale nutrition programmes that involve multiple implementing agencies.
Reporting from Nalanda; details were compiled from official statements and hospital sources in the district.
