New Delhi, July 19th, 2012

Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar and the District Magistrate, Vaishali asking them to submit reports within four weeks on allegations that two school children were thrashed by their headmaster till they fainted for refusing to eat mid-day meal of khichdi in which they found insects.

Allegedly, the boys namely Sanjay Kumar and Chandeshwar Kumar, aged 12 and 13 years respectively, are brothers and students of Class -VI in a Government school at Mithani Milki village of Vailshali district near Patna. When they complained about the insects in the mid-day meal, the headmaster told them to pick the bugs out and get on with eating the meal. When the boys refused to do so, the headmaster caned them mercilessly. Their father rushed them to a primary health centre for treatment and, later, he lodged a complaint with the police against the erring headmaster.

The Commission has observed that the allegations, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of children.

The Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar has been further directed to inform as to what steps are being taken by the administration for monitoring and supervision of mid-day meal scheme in the schools including the quality of food being served to the school children in the State.

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