Mid-Day Meals in UP Madrassas Under Scanner: Statewide probe ordered over irregularities, quality concerns

Lucknow: Orders have been issued to conduct an inquiry into the alleged corruption and irregularities prevailing in the Mid-Day Meal scheme across all madrassas receiving grants from the Uttar Pradesh government. Uttar Pradesh Mid-Day Meal Authority Director Monika Rani issued orders in a letter sent to all district magistrates (DMs) across the state on March 23 to investigate the alleged corruption and irregularities prevailing in the Mid-Day Meal scheme currently operational in all 558 state-aided madrassas.

The letter, while attaching a complaint submitted on January 30 by UP All India Pasmanda Manch vice president Talha Ansari, directs that the details mentioned in the complaint be investigated and a report be submitted. Ansari had levelled allegations of corruption within the Mid-Day Meal scheme in state-aided madrassas across various districts of the state. Confirming this order, UP Minister for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari said that complaints had been received alleging that the quality of the afternoon meals provided to students under the Mid-Day Meal scheme in the government-aided madrassas across the state was substandard.

He emphasised that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath intends that no discrimination be practised against children in madrassas and that they receive both a good education and high-quality food under the Mid-Day Meal scheme. Therefore, the minister said, if corruption is indeed occurring within the Mid-Day Meal scheme in the madrassas, it runs completely counter to the chief minister's vision. Ansari affirmed that an inquiry would be conducted into the complaints regarding the poor quality of food being served to children in madrassas under the Mid-Day Meal scheme and strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty.

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Responding to a query asking why an inquiry is being conducted across all madrassas if the complaints pertain only to a few specific institutions, the minister clarified that this is not an investigation into a specific financial scam but rather a general quality assessment of the Mid-Day Meal scheme itself. He informed that the DMs have been directed to complete the inquiry and submit their reports at the earliest.

UP Madrassas: Rs 8 crore mid-day meal irregularities alleged

The complainant, Ansari, told PTI that a scam amounting to approximately Rs 8 crore had occurred within the Mid-Day Meal scheme at three government-aided madrassas in Balrampur -- Madrassa Aisha Siddiqa, Madrassa Darul Uloom Farooqia and Madrassa Fazle Rahmania. He said that in connection with this matter, a case was registered against 44 individuals at the Kotwali Nagar Police Station in Balrampur on November 26, 2025, and 12 people were subsequently arrested. He informed that following the unearthing of the scam, the principals of all three madrassas were placed under suspension.

Ansari added that, separately, the District Minority Welfare Officer in Barabanki had issued a notice on July 16, 2025, noting that the Mid-Day Meal scheme was not being implemented in certain government-aided madrassas. Ansari mentioned that he had lodged complaints regarding these issues with the Minister for Basic Education Sandeep Singh and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Basic Education Department in January. He welcomed the government's decision to order an inquiry into the matter.

He demanded that the entire case be thoroughly investigated and that strict action be taken against those found guilty. Currently, there are approximately 25,000 madrassas in UP, 558 of which receive government aid.