By Moumita Mukherjee
Copyright republicworld
Chennai: Even as the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government rolled out a series of ambitious welfare schemes for students – from the Naan Mudhalvan career initiative to the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, Pudhumai Penn, Kalaignar Sports Kit Scheme, and Mission International Medal Scheme (MIMS) – disturbing ground realities from Cuddalore, Tirunelveli, and Coimbatore highlighted a different story of apathy towards the students.In Cuddalore district, 18 students of a Panchayat Union Middle School in Adhivaraganatham fell seriously ill after having contaminated breakfast. The health of all affected children are now stable after being admitted to Chidambaram Government Hospital. This is not an isolated case. Multiple schools in Tamil Nadu have time and again experienced food contamination incidents: Check the list – June 24, 2025: Over 50 students in Villupuram district fell ill after a lizard was found in the meal.July 2025: Nine girls in a government hostel at Courtallam, Tenkasi, were hospitalised after breakfast.August 13, 2025: Eight children in Thiruvarur district were hospitalised after a lizard was found in Rava Khichdi.September 10, 2022: 47 children fell ill in Tiruvannamalai after eating food with dead lizards.May 31, 2022: Food served at a Pudukottai Anganwadi had beetles and worms.October 29, 2022: 15 students in Tiruvannamalai were hospitalised after consuming lizard- contaminated food.Another incident was reported at Tirunelveli. A shocking act of violence unfolded inside a classroom at a government-aided school in Eruvadi. A Class 9 student hid a sickle in his school bag and attacked a classmate following a fight over seating arrangements.The victim sustained deep cuts on his back and required multiple stitches. Another student who tried to intervene also suffered minor injuries.Coimbatore’s Kottaipalayam saw another disturbing episode, this time at Grace Happy Home Trust, a government-recognised children’s shelter. A disturbing video emerged of an eight-year-old boy being beaten with a belt by Selvaraj, the in-charge of the shelter.Police arrested Selvaraj and booked him, along with his wife Nirmala, under multiple provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. Contaminated food, clashes inside schools, and child abuse – such repeated cases of apathy has exposed a deep gap between Tamil Nadu’s ambitious student welfare plans and the sad ground reality. While the government schemes are designed to empower, feed, and protect the students, weak monitoring and lack of accountability has become a challenge.
