The tragic death of 25 children between the age of 4-12 years after being fed food contaminated with pesticides is appalling. This shocking incident has caused national outrage and has exposed the tremendous lapse in the implementation and monitoring of the midday meal program by state governments.

Economists believed that in a country, where nearly half of children are undernourished and struggle to go to school, providing free meal scheme would bolster school enrollment, eliminate hunger and illiteracy among poor masses. This noble midday meal scheme is the world’s largest feeding program, reaching 120 millions children in schools across length and breath of India.

Midday food should be cooked at separate hygienic places having proper cooking and storage facilities. Its quality should be routinely monitored with frequent visits of inspectors and higher officials. — Ramesh G. Jethwani, Bangalore