Gujarat launches special drive at student hostels, canteens to check quality of food
10878018 mid day meal
- ✓10878018 mid day meal
- ✓Primary Authority: Official communique verified from Gujarat State Bureau (Ahmedabad).
- ✓Civic Domain: Categorized under states public notices.
A day after Health Minister Praful Pansheriya ordered inspection at all hostels – government and private – in the state housing students to check the quality of food being served, the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Department launched a special drive on Monday.
Canteens and hostels of 200 government and private educational institutions across the state were inspected on Monday to check whether the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) prescribed by the state health department is being complied with or not.
Pansheriya announced the drive on Sunday, following an incident of suspected food poisoning of 85 students at the hostel of PP Savani International School in Surat city on Saturday. Speaking to The Indian Express, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said the crackdown will continue in the coming days and strict legal action will be initiated against violators.
“For the first time in the history of Gujarat, we have carried out a drive in the education institutions across the state to check the quality of food being served in the hostels and canteens. We will continue the drive for seven days and cover each and every village and talukas across the state.
Today, we issued notices to some educational institutions. It’s our social responsibility to ensure that hygiene rules and regulations are properly followed in educational institutions across the state,” Pansheriya said.
“The officials were asked to take police help if any educational institution does not cooperate in the special drive,” the minister added. The incident at PP Savani School was reported on Saturday when around 85 out of the 2,200 students at the hostel complained of stomach pain and some of them vomiting after dinner.
The affected students were taken to PP Savani Hospital by the hostel staff for treatment. The hospital is also run by the same trust, and school buses were used to shift the affected students to the hospital. Most of the affected students were discharged after primary treatment, while around five are still admitted to the hospital and their condition is reported to be stable.
Sources said Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) health department officials seized food samples from the hostel campus and sent them for testing on Sunday.
- •Aspirants and citizens are advised to monitor official notices and circulars issued by Gujarat State Bureau (Ahmedabad).
- •Verify all prescribed eligibility criteria, cutoff dates, and authenticated document requirements prior to formal submissions.
- •Track connected examination timetables, vacancy advisories, and administrative gazettes on SuchnaSetu.
| Issuing Authority | Gujarat State Bureau (Ahmedabad) |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | STATES |
| Jurisdiction | GJ State |
| Publication Date | 14 September 2026 |