Archive · 23 Aug 2026
38 Schoolchildren Fall Ill After Mid-Day Meal in Madhya Pradesh
Thirty-eight children felt unwell after eating a school lunch in Madhya Pradesh.
They had symptoms such as stomach pain, dizziness and headaches.
The lunch was kadhi-rice.
Nineteen children stayed in a hospital for observation.
Doctors later said all the children were stable and healthy.
Officials said tests did not show food poisoning at that time.
One girl had already been sick for three days.
Food inspectors collected samples of the lunch for testing.
Officials are also checking how the meal was prepared, transported and served.
Thirty-eight children at a government middle school in Singhana village reported stomach pain, dizziness and headaches after eating kadhi-rice.
The meal was served at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in Sanwer’s Dharampur area.
Nineteen children were admitted for observation and discharged around 7 p.m. after doctors found them stable.
District officials said examinations found no signs of food poisoning or another illness, while one girl had already been unwell for three days.
Food and Drug Administration officials collected meal samples, and testing is expected to help determine the cause of the complaints.
- Who
- Thirty-eight children from a government middle school in Singhana village, along with district health and food-safety officials.
- What
- The children reported feeling unwell after eating the school’s kadhi-rice mid-day meal.
- When
- Saturday; the meal was served at about 1:30 p.m., and the children were discharged around 7 p.m.
- Where
- A government middle school in Singhana village, in Sanwer’s Dharampur area of Madhya Pradesh; some children were examined at Arbindo Hospital in Indore.
- Why
- The immediate cause remains undetermined; officials are awaiting test results and examining meal preparation, transportation and quality checks.
Initial Food-Poisoning Concern
Administration’s Findings
Cause of the complaints
Initial Food-Poisoning Concern
Several children developed symptoms around the same time after eating the meal, initially raising concerns about food poisoning.
Administration’s Findings
The district administration said medical examinations found no signs of food poisoning or another illness; officials said the exact cause would be known after laboratory reports.
Health situation
Initial Food-Poisoning Concern
The simultaneous complaints prompted medical assistance and hospital observation for some children.
Administration’s Findings
Officials said all children were healthy or stable after examination, and no child was seriously ill; monitoring continued as a precaution.
- Children affected
- 38
- Reported symptoms
- Stomach pain, dizziness and headache
- Meal served
- Kadhi-rice at approximately 1:30 p.m.
- Hospital observation
- 19 children were admitted and discharged around 7 p.m.
- Medical findings
- Officials said examinations found no signs of food poisoning or other illness.
- Food testing
- Food and Drug Administration officials collected samples of the prepared food and other materials.
- Meal scheme cost
- Under PM POSHAN, the stated material cost is Rs 10.17 per child for Classes VI-VIII and Rs 6.78 for Classes I-V, effective May 1, 2025.