DigitEye India Fact Checkers
A short video is going viral on social media claiming that mid-day meal scheme being implemented in South India consists of only rice and turmeric water. The caption in Hindi reads:” देखें कि दक्षिण भारत के सरकारी स्कूलों में मध्याह्न भोजन कैसे उपलब्ध कराया जा रहा है। केवल चावल और हल्दी वाला पानी।”[Translated into English: “See how mid-day meals are being provided in government schools in South India. Only rice and turmeric water.”]
देखें कि दक्षिण भारत के सरकारी स्कूलों में मध्याह्न भोजन कैसे उपलब्ध कराया जा रहा है। केवल चावल और हल्दी वाला पानी। pic.twitter.com/CMHZwlDwhu
— Abhishek Kumar Kushwaha (@TheAbhishek_IND) February 8, 2024
It has been shared here and here.
Fact Check
Taking out the key frames of the video, Digiteye India team checked on Google Reverse Image Search and the results showed that the original video was posted on Bigul TV (Odisha) YouTube on February 1, 2024 with a caption that read: “Mid-day meal is like no one ever ate such pulses in their entire life; even our ancestors never had it. How is it possible under this government?”
In the original video, the person is seen speaking in Odiya with the workers that he was not complaining but just wanted to know what kind of Dal (pulses) is being served. “These are not pulses, but water served by you guys. I know you guys are working here with limited resources because you received fewer food items, but I will still go and complain about this to BDO (Block Development Officer).”
Hence, the video was pertaining to an Odisha’s government school, not from the South Indian government school as claimed.
Claim: Video shows mid-day meal scheme consisting of only rice and turmeric water being served in South Indian schools.
Conclusion: The viral video of mid-day meal is from Odisha’s government school, and not from South India, as claimed.
Rating: Misrepresentation — 
