India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has launched an investigation following alarming reports that more than 100 schoolchildren fell ill after consuming a government-provided lunch in which a dead snake was allegedly discovered.
According to the NHRC, the incident occurred in Mokama, a city in Bihar state, where approximately 500 students were served the contaminated meal. Shockingly, reports suggest that the cook removed the dead snake but went ahead and served the food to the children regardless.
Soon after eating the meal, dozens of children began to feel unwell, prompting local residents to block a nearby road in protest. The NHRC expressed serious concern over the incident, stating that if the reports are accurate, they represent a significant violation of the students’ human rights.
“The commission has observed that the contents, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the students,” it said in an official statement.
The NHRC has demanded a detailed report from senior Bihar state officials within two weeks. The report is expected to include the current health status of the affected children and details of the investigation.
The meal was part of India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme—one of the largest free school lunch programs in the world—originally introduced in 1925 in the southern city of Chennai (formerly Madras). The program aims to improve nutrition among children from low-income families and boost school attendance.
However, the scheme has faced criticism over the years due to repeated lapses in food safety and hygiene. A major tragedy occurred in 2013, also in Bihar, when contaminated school meals led to the deaths of 23 children. Investigators later confirmed the presence of dangerously high levels of pesticide in the food.
