3 min readRanchiMay 6, 2026 04:31 PM IST
Students of a government school in Jharkhand’s Godda district have alleged that eggs served under the mid-day meal scheme were rotten, with some found fertilised and containing partially developed embryos. The district administration has promised action.
The incident was reported from Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya, Mednichak, in Basant Rai block, a school catering to students from Classes 1 to 8.
When The Indian Express accessed a video of the incident, it showed parents confronting school authorities over the quality of food being served. In the video, the headmaster, identified as Ajay Jha, is seen arguing with guardians and allegedly telling them, “You have not seen my power yet,” while asking them to do whatever they wished.
A guardian, Jumman Alam, said the issue came to light when eggs were being distributed to students. “When we cracked open an egg, it turned out to be rotten. It appeared to have embryo-like content inside. We approached the headmaster to tell him to ensure that such eggs are not served to children, as they could fall ill,” he said.
Alam alleged that instead of addressing the complaint, the headmaster reacted aggressively. “He snatched the egg from our hand and threw it down. When we tried to record the incident, he threatened us, saying he could get our work stopped and that we should call whoever we want,” he claimed.
Another parent, Mohammad Aqeel Alam, said the problem was not a one-off incident. “This has been happening for a long time. Earlier too, children were given spoiled food, even biscuits infested with worms. Recently, eggs distributed to students had developing embryos inside,” he alleged, adding that eggs are usually served once or twice a week, with one egg per child.
Parents also alleged that complaints against the school administration had been raised earlier, but no action was taken. “There have been arguments before as well but we ignored them. This time, when threats were issued, we decided to raise the matter… most of the students come from Adivasi, Dalit and minority communities, and the headmaster’s behaviour towards them has been alleged to be careless and insensitive,” a guardian said.
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When contacted, District Education Officer Mithila Tudu said she had not received any formal complaint regarding the incident. “I have not received any complaint so far. If you share the video, I will forward it to the senior official. We will take immediate action,” she told The Indian Express, indicating that middle schools fall under the jurisdiction of the District Superintendent of Education (DSE) and that he would be informed immediately.
Repeated attempts to contact headmaster Ajay Jha for comment were unsuccessful.
