Following the incident, which yet again exposes the negligence of authorities in midday meal distribution, an inquiry has been ordered by the district administration.
Additional District Magistrate Amit Kumar Singh said that eight students and a teacher of Janata Inter-College in Mustafabad Panchenda village were taken ill and sent to hospital after the rat was found in one of the plates though no one had eaten the food at that time, news agency PTI reported.
Last week, a similar case of apathy had come to light in Uttar Pradesh, when a video showed that a litre of milk was allegedly diluted with a bucket of water so that 81 children could be served during their midday meal at a government school in Sonbhadra district, following which a teacher was suspended.
As per reports, an NGO named Jankalyan Samiti of Hapur had supplied the mid-day meal to the school.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence, Singh said.
District authorities have ordered lodging of an FIR against the mid-day meal supplier, the official said.
The students and the teacher complained of vomiting after they saw the rat and were taken to hospital, he said.
(with inputs from PTI)