In a move aimed at restoring the inclusive spirit of the national Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Kishoriganj Manmohanpur Primary School, located in Purbasthali I Block of Purba Bardhaman district, has scrapped its decades-old practice of preparing and serving separate mid-day meals for Hindu and Muslim students. The decision came on Wednesday, following a district-level investigation into the controversial practice that had persisted for nearly 25 years.
The change was initiated after the district administration was alerted to the religious segregation in meal distribution, a practice that had reportedly been in place since around the year 2000, soon after the nationwide Mid-Day Meal Scheme was rolled out. District Magistrate Ayesha Rani confirmed that an inquiry team was sent to the school, and that “action will be taken based on the findings.”
In response to the inquiry, a high-level meeting was convened on school premises by headmaster Tapan Ghosh, who has been with the school for a year. The meeting lasted over two hours and included teachers, village elders, parents, panchayat officials, police representatives, and members of the district administration.
“The students study together and sit in the same classrooms, yet their food was being cooked and served separately based on religion. I had tried to stop this practice before but failed due to community resistance. Today, we reached a consensus to end it,” Ghosh told reporters.
The school, which currently has 72 students, 43 Hindus and 29 Muslims, had maintained two separate kitchens, utensils, and cooks to accommodate the practice. Although meals were cooked using a single gas connection, they were served in different classrooms, reinforcing religious division among young children.
Following the probe and the dialogue, authorities announced that the practice of segregated cooking and serving has now been discontinued. Going forward, a Self-Help Group (SHG), comprising local village women, will be formed to handle mid-day meal preparation and distribution uniformly.
“All meals will be cooked and served together to all students, regardless of religion. The SHG will ensure that all government guidelines are strictly followed,” confirmed Mahbil Hussain Mondol, Deputy Pradhan of the local Gram Panchayat.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme, launched on August 15, 1995, under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, was envisioned not only to improve nutrition among school children but also to foster social integration by encouraging children from different castes and communities to eat together. However, the religious segregation at Kishoriganj Manmohanpur Primary School, unchallenged for nearly two and a half decades, stood in stark contradiction to these ideals.
In 2021, the scheme was rebranded as PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) to streamline implementation and reinforce its core objectives. The program remains one of the largest school meal initiatives globally, providing free meals to millions of children across India, especially those from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
