Over 100 students ate midday meal at Kota school. Two hours later, 21 land in hospital

At least 27 students at a government-run school in Kota, Rajasthan fell ill after consuming their midday meal on Monday, leading to an emergency inquiry. Twenty-one of the students were hospitalized, with the remaining six treated at home. The children, aged between 1st and 8th grade, experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, and dizziness approximately two hours after consuming a meal consisting of pumpkin curry.

Headmaster Chandra Prakash reported that the meal had been served just before the symptoms began to manifest, and those displaying severe symptoms were quickly taken to Kota for medical attention. Parents of affected students, like the mother of a Class 4 child named Rahul, expressed concern over their child's rapid deterioration after consuming the pumpkin curry.

Despite his efforts, Rahul had to be taken to a hospital after collapsing at home. District Education Officer Roop Singh Meena visited the hospital to assess the children's conditions and initiate an investigation into the cause of the illness. Meena confirmed that most of the 27 affected students had recovered, but noted that an inquiry was underway to determine the cause of the outbreak.

Annapurna Sahakari Samiti, the organization responsible for preparing and supplying food to these schools, is suspected as the source of the contaminated meal. However, Meena cautioned against jumping to conclusions, suggesting that external factors such as extreme heat or contaminated water may have played a role. The timing of the incident has been particularly damaging for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is already facing criticism from the opposition Cockroach Janta Party over the poor state of state-run schools.