There have been violent protests in the Indian state of Bihar after 22 children died and dozens more fell sick after eating a tainted free school meal. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23342003 A doctor at the local hospital said a chemical used in pesticides was likely to be the cause of the contamination.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food and was introduced to combat hunger and boost school attendance, and reaches 120 million children in 1.2 million schools across the country.

Twenty-eight sick primary school children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra and the state capital, Patna, after consuming the meal of rice, soybeans and potatoes on Tuesday.

A total of 47 students of the primary school fell sick after eating the free lunch.

“When the children were clinically examined, we saw that there was severe congestion in the chest, and their pupils were dilated. These are symptoms of organo-phosphorus poisoning.

“Organo-phosphorus is a compound also used as a pesticide for crops. It is very dangerous. Even a small quantity of it would prove fatal for small children. Looking at the critical condition in which they were brought to the hospital, it seems like there were large quantities of poison in the food that they consumed.”

There are fears the number of dead could rise as some of the children, all below the age of 12, are critically ill.

Patna-based journalist Amarnath Tewary says villagers told local reporters that similar cases of food poisoning from Mid-Day Meals had happened in the area previously.

The landmark Food Security Bill, the Congress-party led government believes, is India’s best shot at battling chronic malnutrition and hunger. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23159706

The bill – which was passed by ordinance but needs to be ratified by parliament – proposes to make food a legal right. It seeks to cover two-thirds of the country’s population and provide 5kg of subsidised food grain per person per month.

The bill also proposes free meals and maternity benefits for pregnant women, lactating mothers, children between the ages of six months and 14 years, and malnourished children and destitute and homeless people.