West Bengal school scraps 25-year-old practice of separate mid-day meals for Hindu and Muslim students after administration launched a probe
Kishoriganj Manmohanpur Primary School in West Bengal has finally stopped the practice of distributing mid-day meals separately to students based on their religious communities. The decades-old custom was discontinued on Wednesday after the district administration ordered a probe into reports that different meals were being cooked and served separately to Hindu and Muslim students for years.
The investigation was initiated promptly after the district administration became aware of the issue. “We sent an inquiry team to the school. Action will be taken based on the report,” said Ayesha Rani, District Magistrate of Purba Bardhaman.
The school’s headmaster, Tapan Ghosh, held a two-hour-long meeting to address the matter. The meeting was attended by teachers, villagers, panchayat members, and representatives of both the district administration and the police. The purpose was to discuss the issue in detail in the presence of all stakeholders.
“The students study together, sit in the same classroom, but the food is cooked and served separately. This has been the practice for years. I joined the school a year ago and tried to intervene, but failed. Today, I called a meeting of parents and local panchayat members, to resolve the issue” said Ghosh.
Since 2000, the school maintained separate kitchens and utensils for preparing meals for Hindus and Muslims, and also engaged two different cooks. Food was served separately based on the students’ religion. “This practice has now been discontinued. From now on, meals will be prepared and served together to all students, regardless of their community. A Self-Help Group (SHG) will also be formed soon to manage mid-day meal cooking in the school,” said an official.
The SHG will include local village women who will cook the meals following all prescribed norms. “All guidelines will be followed,” confirmed Mahbil Hussain Mondol, Deputy Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat. Although the administration has expressed commitment to preventing religious divisions in schools, it is evident that a lack of cooperation from some parents is hindering the process. Despite the administration’s firm stance, several parents have shown reluctance, and religious division continues to be a challenge in the school. According to school authorities, the segregated arrangements have been in place since 2000, shortly after the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was introduced.
Located in Purbasthali I Block, nearly 150 km from Kolkata, Kishoriganj Manmohanpur Primary School currently has 72 students—29 Muslims and 43 Hindus. Although meals were prepared using a single gas connection, they were served in separate classrooms based on religion.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme was launched in India on August 15, 1995, under the leadership of then Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. The key objective was to improve both the nutritional status and educational outcomes of school-going children, particularly those from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Other aims of the scheme include increasing enrollment and retention rates and promoting social equality by encouraging children from diverse castes, religions, and communities to share meals together.
In 2021, the scheme was renamed PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) to further streamline its implementation and impact. Despite ongoing challenges, it remains one of the world’s largest school meal programs, playing a vital role in addressing child hunger, enhancing learning outcomes, and bridging social divides across the country.
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