• The Daily Hints
• 21 Aug, 2025

·       School meal scam India

·       Mid day meal corruption West Bengal

·       Fake students in mid day meal scheme Bankura

In a heartbreaking twist that’s shaking up West Bengals education world, a small school in Bankura district is caught in a big storm over Mid Day Meal corruption. Parents are furious after finding out that school bosses faked student numbers to grab extra government cash. This isn't just about money – it’s robbing kids of healthy food and trust in schools. With India's Mid Day Meal scheme aiming to feed millions of children daily, scams like this highlight why we need tighter checks to stop fraud and keep kids strong for learning. As of 2025, reports show similar issues popping up across states, hurting child nutrition and school attendance.

Details & Context

The mess started at Lakshmanpur Paramhans Yogananda Vidyalaya in Gangajalghati block, Bankura – a place meant to teach kids not trick the system. School leaders showed way more students eating Mid Day Meals than actually did. Real eaters.? Just 50 to 90 kids some days. But papers claimed 250-300, pulling in extra funds from the government's pot. This isn't new in West Bengal. Back in 2023, a big review found the state over-reported a whopping 16 crore meals worth over Rs 100 crore in just six months. That’s money meant for poor kids' bellies, gone missing.

Parents stormed the school, demanding answers. The headteacher admitted pumping up numbers but said it was for “good reasons” like extra events. But experts say no – Mid Day Meal cash can’t fund parties or pujas. It’s strictly for nutrition to boost school attendance and fight hunger. India’s Mid Day Meal program, started in 1995 and now called PM POSHAN, feeds over 11 crore kids in 11 lakh schools. It aims to give 450-700 calories per meal with proteins to help kids grow smart and strong. But corruption turns it sour.

Digging deeper via social media buzz on X (formerly Twitter), folks are calling out similar scams. In June 2025, posts highlighted how West Bengal left nearly 50% of school kids without meals with 10 lakh fewer getting food than before. One X user shared news of ghosts eating meals – fake kids on rolls siphoning funds. In Murshidabad and Maldah, massive scams hit headlines in 2025 with TMC leaders blamed for turning nutrition aid into party pockets. Even older cases, like a 2011 Bankura headmistress arrested for stealing rice, show this rot runs deep.

Nationwide, Mid Day Meal irregularities include bad food, caste bias and theft. A 2023 CBI probe into West Bengal’s over-reporting proves the Centre’s worry. In other states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, kids get plain rice or wormy meals, sparking protests. But West Bengal stands out – from ration scams to teacher bribes, corruption shadows schemes for the poor. Social media users on X are raging with posts tagging #TMCCorruption and demanding audits.

Quotes

·       Angry parents didn’t hold back. One dad, Abhijit Maji, said: “We checked the books and found about Rs 2.4 lakh in shady deals. This Mid Day Meal corruption is stealing from our kids.!”

·       Another, Prashant Layek, added: “School says 280-290 eat but really it’s 50-80. Where's the cash going.? Headteacher denies it all.”

·       The headteacher, Prakashchandra Panda, defended: “No theft here. We boosted numbers because real funds aren't enough for kids' meals. Extra went to Saraswati Puja, Teachers' Day feasts and school birthday bashes. Rules.? We bend for kids' sake.”

·       But the local school inspector, Mahadev Maiti, shot back: “You can't mix Mid Day Meal money with other stuff – it’s banned. If books don't match, it’s full-on financial fraud.”

·       From X echoes:

o   BJP leader Sambit Patra posted in 2024: “TMC steals even from hungry kids. Over 25 lakh fake MNREGA cards, Rs 100 crore Mid Day Meal loot – Mamata’s empire of scams.”

o   Another user: “Ghosts eating Bengal’s meals.? Fake students, vanished funds – criminal.!”

o   Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in 2024: “Corruption in Bengal.? Everyone knows. Mid Day Meal over-reported by 160 million – kids suffer.”

Additional Information

Fresh 2025 data shows West Bengal’s mess worsening. A June report said nearly 50% of kids missed Mid Day Meals with the Centre demanding answers. In Bankura, old ghosts haunt – like the 2011 rice theft arrest. Nationally, CAG audits flag Rs 858 crore scams in food procurement. X trends reveal calls for Aadhaar linking to kill ghosts but critics say it excludes real kids without IDs.

PM POSHAN pushes nutrition gardens and anemia checks but corruption blocks it. In Assam, FIRs fly over fake meals; Rajasthan raids suppliers. West Bengal's TMC denies, blaming BJP politics but posts show locals fed up.

·       Experts like Dr. Sylvia Karpagam warn: “It’s tokenism now – cheap cereals, no real nutrition.” Studies link good meals to better enrollment, up 20% in some areas.

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Impact Analysis

This Mid Day Meal scam hurts deep. Kids get less food, leading to anemia, weak bodies and poor focus in class. In West Bengal, 46% kids underweight already – fraud makes it worse. School dropouts rise; girls suffer most. Economically, it's a Rs 100 crore+ loss yearly, wasting taxes. Trust erodes – parents pull kids out, fueling child labor. Socially, it widens caste gaps with reports of discrimination in meals. Long-term.? A weaker India with malnourished youth unable to build the nation. But fixes like social audits and NGO partners (e.g., Akshaya Patra) show hope, boosting attendance by 10-15% where clean.

Conclusion

Mid Day Meal corruption in West Bengal’s Bankura schools is a wake-up call. From fake counts to stolen rice, it's starving dreams. With CBI probes and X outcry, 2025 demands real change – strict audits, tech tracking and honest leaders. India’s kids deserve full plates and bright futures, not scams. Let’s root out greed to make PM POSHAN a true success.

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