As the death toll in Bihar's mid-day meal food poisoning case rose to 20, Union Minister for Human Resource Development MM Pallam Raju said on Wednesday that the government has taken a serious note of the incident and is hoping that other states and their respective authorities would exercise more caution.

"It is very sad to know about yesterday's incident where food poisoning has taken place and 20 children have lost their lives in Bihar and another 21 are hospitalised. We have taken serious note of what has happened and our additional secretary who looks after the midday meal program is already in Bihar,' Raju said.