Lok Sabha Question No. 97 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Food Poisoning Incident in School Hostels in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 97

## ANSWERED ON 01/12/2025

## Food Poisoning Incident in School Hostels in Andhra Pradesh

97. Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  repeated  food  poisoning incidents  in  Andhra  Pradesh  Government  schools/hostels  reportedly  caused  by unclean RO plants, stagnant water tanks and unhygienic kitchen conditions, if so, the details thereof; (b)  whether  any  preventive  audits,  inspections,  or  corrective  measures  have  been initiated by the Government or in coordination with State Education Departments to ensure food and water safety in such institutions, and if so, the details thereof; (c) if not, the reasons for the inaction; and (d) whether the Government proposes to introduce a mandatory quarterly inspection and  digital  reporting  system  for  all  government  and  welfare  hostels  to  ensure
2. compliance with food safety and hygiene standards and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  to  (d):  Pradhan  Mantri  Poshan  Shakti  Nirman  (PM  POSHAN)  Scheme  is implemented  in  partnership  with  States/  UTs  for  providing  one  hot  cooked  and nutritious meal to children studying in Balvatika (just before class I) and the classes I to VIII of Government and Government-aided schools on all school working days. The overall  responsibility  for  smooth  functioning  of  the  scheme  including  providing  hot

cooked and nutritious meal to the eligible children and day-to-day administration lies with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.

Government  of  India  has  issued  detailed  guidelines  on  quality,  safety  and hygiene to ensure serving of good quality nutritious meal under the Scheme.  All the States/ UTs are advised to adhere to these Guidelines. These guidelines are available on  official  website https://pmposhan.education.gov.in.  These  guidelines, inter  alia , provide  instructions  to  schools  to  procure  Agmark  quality  and  branded  items  for preparation of meals, training to Cook-cum-Helpers, tasting of meals by members of School Management Committee including at least one teacher before serving the hot meal to children. Further, it provides for testing of food samples by Government Food Research Laboratory or any laboratory accredited or recognized by law to ensure that the meals meet nutritional standards and quality. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is  given  responsibility  for  making  available  food  grains  of  best  available  quality, meeting the parameters of Fair Average Quality (FAQ). The Guidelines provide, interalia,  for  training  of  Cook-cum-Helpers  on  nutrition,  cooking  processes,  health  and hygiene, preparation of raw grains and vegetables, recipes, serving skills etc. States/ UTs provide training to CCHs in collaboration with Institutes of Hotel Management, Food Craft Institutes, FSSAI, State Universities etc. Many States/ UTs conduct the Cooking Competitions and also give cash prizes to the winners to encourage them to cook varied and nutritious meals. The States and UTs are encouraged to decide menu suitable to the local conditions within the prescribed nutrition and food norms and to procure  locally  grown  food  items  like  millets,  vegetables,  condiments  etc.  The guidelines also envisage for all children in the school to wash their hands with soap.

As per information received from the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, a few incidents of water/food contamination have occurred, and affected students were admitted to the hospitals immediately, and after treatment, all of them were discharged safely. As a follow up, special inspections have been conducted in all Government Hostels in the State and action has been taken to rectify the defects.

Further, FSSAI has prepared Food Safety Guidebook for Teachers/Students. The booklet provides with the detailed information of how to conduct the different test on food adulteration. FSSAI through its social media channel has created a dedicated playlist  'How  to  check  for  adulteration'.  FSSAI  also  have  mobile  food  testing  vans called Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) to reach remote areas and conduct training and

POSHAN  Maah/  POSHAN  Pakhwada  is  celebrated  by  States  and  UTs facilitating  community  mobilisation  and  ensuring  schools  undertake  meaningful activities such as special School Management Committee (SMC) meetings, awareness campaigns on nutrition and hygiene. Various other activities such as quiz, painting competition, rally, nukkad natak for disseminating the information on use of millets, handwash,  balance  diet  and  importance  of  green  leafy  vegetables  etc.  are  also awareness activities as well. organized at school level.

The  State  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh  has  issued  Standard  Operating Procedure (SoP) for maintenance of hostels, child safety  and security, food safety, water safety, personal health and hygiene, reporting of untoward incidents and crisis management. Guidelines have also been issued for cleaning water tanks, maintenance of  RO  Plants,  safety,  security,  health,  mental  well-being,  and  protection  of  all  girl students residing in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs).

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