Mumbai Mid Day Meal Row: Playing With Health of 2.5 Lakh Students? Substandard Khichdi at Khernagar School Sparks Parents’ Anger

The civic administration has stated that the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is being run smoothly across municipal schools. However, a troubling situation has come to light at Bandra’s Khernagar Municipal English School No. 2, where students have allegedly been receiving poor-quality khichdi for the past few months. Due to its substandard taste and quality, several students are reportedly avoiding the meal and discarding it in the washrooms. While the scheme provides daily nutrition to nearly 2.5 lakh students under a Central initiative, complaints from parents of children studying in this school have raised serious concerns about food quality and monitoring.

The issue gained further attention after a video showing students complaining about the khichdi went viral. In the video, students are seen stating that the food is tasteless and unfit for consumption, forcing them to throw it away and remain hungry. On the other hand, the head of the Prashanti Mahila Bachat Gat, which supplies meals to nine municipal schools in the area, has defended the quality, claiming that the khichdi is usually prepared properly and any lapse may have been an isolated incident. However, a teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that nearly 60 percent of the 600–700 students in the school are not consuming the meal.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme: School Details and Current Status

Municipal Education Officer Kirtivardhan Kiratkudve has assured that if any instance of poor-quality food is found, a thorough inquiry will be conducted and strict action will be taken as per rules. He reiterated that the civic body always prioritizes the welfare of students and will not tolerate negligence in such an important scheme. The administration has already taken note of the complaints and has begun a preliminary investigation to verify the claims and ensure accountability.

Meanwhile, Worli corporator Padmaja Chemburkar has strongly criticized the situation, stating that distributing such inferior quality food to children is unacceptable. She emphasized that students are being forced to stay hungry as the food is unfit to eat, calling it a serious issue that demands immediate attention. Echoing similar concerns, Municipal Samarth Union General Secretary Rishikant Ghosalkar termed the situation unjust to students and demanded strict action after a proper inquiry. He stressed that if children have been served poor-quality food for months, it reflects a major lapse that must be addressed without delay.