MP school replaces newspapers with steel plates after viral video backlash

Sheopur: A government primary school in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district has replaced newspaper sheets with stainless steel plates for serving mid-day meals, following public outrage over a viral video showing children eating without proper utensils.

The video, widely circulated on social media earlier this week, drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who condemned the incident as emblematic of systemic neglect. In response, authorities suspended the school in-charge, Bhogiram Dhakad, and issued notices to two other staff members.

The contract with the self-help group responsible for meal preparation was cancelled on Friday, with the task reassigned to the school management committee. On Saturday, BJP leader and former minister Ramniwas Rawat, along with Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhishek Mishra, visited the school in Hullapur village under Vijaypur block and joined students for lunch served on newly procured steel plates.

“Today, our entire team visited the spot and inspected the food. It was found that the meal was properly served on plates. I myself, along with public representatives, also ate the meal there. In the same way, we are monitoring this matter to ensure that no such incident happens again,” Mishra told reporters.

Rahul Gandhi, sharing the original footage on X, criticised both the state and central governments, accusing them of failing to uphold basic dignity for children. “These are the same innocent children on whose dreams the future of the country rests and they are not even getting a plate of dignity,” he said, calling the BJP’s development narrative an illusion.

The incident has sparked renewed debate over the quality and oversight of mid-day meal schemes in government schools, with local officials pledging stricter monitoring going forward.