University Grants Commission has issued an important advisory for universities. In which the commission has asked to ban junk food made in the canteens of the institutions. Citing a report of ICMR, UGC has said to ban this food.
UGC has directed universities to ban the sale of junk food in canteens and promote healthy options. According to ICMR report, obesity and diabetes are a major problem in India. UGC has emphasized the importance of healthy eating for the health of the nation. UGC Secretary Prof Manish Joshi has written a letter to all states and universities asking them to ban the sale of unhealthy food in educational institutions and promote healthy food options in the canteens of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
What do the reports say
The letter states that NAPI says that according to the ICMR report (2020-2023), the problem of rapidly increasing obesity and diseases like diabetes in India is serious. One in every four people is a victim of obesity or diabetes. To deal with this growing problem, NAPI has demanded the immediate implementation of the National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (NMAP). This plan was created for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Instructions were given earlier too
This is not the first time that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines in this regard. Earlier, such instructions were given by the commission in the year 2016 and 2018 as well. UGC has appealed to the institutions to remove unhealthy food items from the canteen and replace them with health beneficial items.
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