NATIONAL

Worms Found in Mid‑Day Meals at 75 Bihar Schools Prompt Investigation

Students in Arwal district discovered worms in rice and soybean‑potato curry served under the PM POSHAN mid‑day‑meal scheme, leading to a refusal to eat and a district‑level probe. The incident follows a recent Nalanda school mishap where detergent was allegedly served instead of salt, raising questions about food‑safety oversight in Bihar’s public‑school feeding program.

By Open Vaartha Desk · 2026-08-23

What happened

TL;DR

Worms found in meals at 75 Bihar schools have triggered a district probe, highlighting systemic food‑safety lapses in the PM POSHAN programme.

Key points

Students in Arwal district discovered worms in rice and soybean‑potato curry served under the mid‑day‑meal scheme
The meals are supplied by NGO Royal Manav Mitra Seva Samiti, contracted for the programme
District education department ordered an investigation and warned of action if negligence is proven
The incident follows a recent Nalanda case where detergent was allegedly served instead of salt, hospitalising 34 children
Calls are growing for stronger oversight, testing and accountability beyond the cook or supplier

A food‑safety breach was reported in Arwal district of Bihar after pupils in 75 government schools found worms in the rice and soybean‑potato curry that forms part of the state‑run mid‑day‑meal programme. The students rejected the contaminated plates and alerted teachers, prompting the district education department to order an immediate investigation. The meals are supplied by Royal Manav Mitra Seva Samiti, an NGO contracted to deliver food under the central PM POSHAN scheme, which aims to provide nutritious meals to improve children’s health and school attendance.The district authority has stated that action will be taken if negligence is established, but has not yet disclosed who inspected the food before distribution, what quality‑control mechanisms failed, or whether samples have been collected for laboratory testing. The incident arrives on the heels of another high‑profile failure in Bihar’s mid‑day‑meal system: in Nalanda district, 34 children were hospitalised after what officials allege was detergent served in place of salt. Both cases underscore systemic gaps in monitoring and accountability for contractors tasked with preparing school meals.The PM POSHAN programme is a public‑service initiative, not a charitable handout, and is funded to guarantee safe, nutritious food for schoolchildren. When contamination reaches dozens of schools, responsibility extends beyond the cook or the supplying NGO to the administrative bodies that oversee contracts, conduct inspections, and enforce standards. Experts note that children should never serve as the final quality‑control checkpoint; instead, robust pre‑distribution testing and regular audits are essential to prevent health risks.The Arwal students’ refusal to eat the tainted food and their prompt reporting to teachers represent a critical, albeit reactive, safety net. The next steps involve a thorough inquiry into how the contaminated meals entered the supply chain, verification of whether any samples were taken for microbiological analysis, and determination of liability—whether it lies with the NGO, the district’s monitoring team, or higher‑level officials. Stakeholders have called for transparent findings and decisive action to restore confidence in the mid‑day‑meal programme and to ensure that such lapses do not recur.As the investigation proceeds, officials have pledged that any proven negligence will result in appropriate sanctions, though the exact nature of those measures remains unspecified. The incident has reignited debate over the adequacy of existing food‑safety protocols in Bihar’s school feeding schemes and the need for stronger oversight mechanisms to protect children’s nutrition and dignity.