At least 24 students of a government educational institution in Odisha's Balasore district fell ill after having a midday meal in the school, today, Thursday, August 8, officials said. This was stated in a report by PTI.

The incident took place at Udaynarayan Nodal School in Sirapur. They were promptly transported to Soro Hospital for treatment after reporting symptoms like nausea and chest pain.

This follows a similar event on July 27, when six students from Banisia Uttar Pradesh (UP) School in Soro block also fell ill after their midday meal and required hospitalisation.

More from UP

A six-year-old Dalit child, who was allegedly forced to clean the toilet by a few teachers, was discovered locked in a classroom at a government primary school in the Jansath district, police said yesterday, Wednesday, August 7.

The Basic Education Department has taken action against the school's principal and a teacher.

The incident occurred on, August 6, when a six-year-old class student was discovered trapped in the school classroom, reportedly owing to the negligence of Principal Sandhya Jain and class teacher Ravita Rani, according to authorities.

Furthermore, the child's mother filed a police complaint, alleging that the two teachers used to force her son to clean the toilet out of "hatred" for Dalit children, PTI reports.

She claimed that due to the teachers' negligence, her son was confined in the classroom for more than an hour after school concluded.

When her child did not return home after the school closed, she enquired about him with other students, who expressed ignorance, she said.