More than 60 students at Gyanshakti Residence School in Matar, Gujarat, fell ill on Thursday night, causing panic among parents, teachers, and local residents. The children experienced symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, fainting, and panic attacks, leading to them being quickly rushed to Kheda Civil Hospital in emergency ambulances. The chaos at the hospital was visible as doctors worked desperately to treat the young patients.
Initial investigations by health and education officials found that the school’s kitchen was not hygienic. Food was being prepared in dirty conditions, with flour and roti-making machines not cleaned regularly. Utensils used for preparing food were also found lying in dirty areas. After a quick inspection, authorities made sure to take photos of the conditions before and after they cleaned the kitchen.
Senior officials, including the District Health Officer, District Education Officer, and local administration (Kheda Mamlatdar), visited the school and hospital to assess the situation. Food samples were collected and sent to labs for testing to determine if contaminated food caused the children’s illness. Action against the school’s management is likely if they are found negligent.
Parents and locals express concern, accusing the school of serious lapses and even trying to hide the incident. However, health officials downplay fears of food poisoning. “Most children showed only mild symptoms, and only one had regular vomiting,” said Health Officer V.S. Dhruv. He explained that if the food had been seriously contaminated, many children would have shown more severe reactions. The investigation continues to find the exact cause.
Gujarat has faced several food poisoning outbreaks over the past year. In Dahod district, over 60 girls at a residential school got sick after dinner, experiencing nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. At Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, more than 100 female hostel students were hospitalized after eating contaminated food during an evening meal; the catering contractor has now been blacklisted for lacking proper food licenses. In Mehsana, 33 people fell ill after eating ‘Kopra Pak’ (coconut sweet) at a school event, with samples sent for testing.
There have also been major outbreaks in the past, like in Sudamda (Sayla), where over 300 people, including many children, suffered after consuming contaminated buttermilk offered as religious offering (prasad). Similarly, 250 wedding guests in Gir Somnath were hospitalized after drinking tainted buttermilk.
The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has been actively working to improve food safety. In 2024-25, it carried out over 190 raids, seizing around 351 tonnes of suspected substandard or adulterated food worth ₹10.5 crore. Out of more than 60,000 samples tested, 1.45% failed quality checks, and 0.17% were unsafe for consumption. The authorities have taken legal actions in nearly 1,000 cases and strengthened their testing network with new labs and mobile vans.
Stay tuned as health officials continue their investigation into the Gyanshakti School incident and work to ensure food safety across Gujarat.
