UP schools to ban sale of junk food

In a significant step, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued instructions to all schools - Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), Uttar Pradesh Board and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) - to ban sale of junk food within their premises and outside, an official said Thursday. A senior government official told IANS the move was initiated by the Secondary Education Council, after it got instructions for the same from the Union Health and Family Planning Ministry. In a letter addressed to principals of all schools, the Secretary of the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (Board of High School and Intermediate Education) asked to ban sale of all forms of junk food, carbonated cold drinks and high sugar containing food from their campuses, as these lead to a host of diseases at later stage of life, including diabetes, high blood pressure and piled up cholesterol levels. The communique specifically mentioned the high trans-fat levels in foods sold in different forms like wafers, salted and fried items. The official letter has encouraged school managements to promote healthy and nutritious food amongst school going kids. The letter also warned strict action against the district inspector of schools (DIOS) of that area, if the orders were not implemented.(