New Delhi, April 18, 2013
The junk is being taken out of school education across the country. After summer vacations are over this year, children will begin their new academic session in schools that do not have junk food outlets within 500 yards in any direction.
This revolution in the making was revealed in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday when the Centre said that draft guidelines on regulating sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around school premises would be ready by July.
Additional Solicitor General Rajeeve Mehra, representing the Centre, told the court that private firm AC Nielsen ORGMARG Pvt Ltd is in the process of framing norms to regulate availability of junk food and carbonated drinks within 500 yards of schools. The senior law officer assured the court that the draft guidelines on making quality and safe food available in school canteens would be in place by July 21. These guidelines will be crucial because there is no official definition of junk food now.
This has created much ambiguity among schools over what food products it should make available to children within its premises. The guidelines will thus clear the confusion and define what food is healthy and what is not healthy.
"We would seek the opinion of food processing companies after making the draft guidelines and prepare the final guidelines soon,"Mehra said.
The junk is being taken out of school education across the country. After summer vacations are over this year, children will begin their new academic session in schools that do not have junk food outlets within 500 yards in any direction.
This revolution in the making was revealed in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday when the Centre said that draft guidelines on regulating sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around school premises would be ready by July.This has created much ambiguity among schools over what food products it should make available to children within its premises. The guidelines will thus clear the confusion and define what food is healthy and what is not healthy.
"We would seek the opinion of food processing companies after making the draft guidelines and prepare the final guidelines soon,"Mehra said.
Most, if not all, schools are kindly disposed to the proposed move. Principal of Laxman Public School Usha Ram said, "We are all up for banning junk food in school premises. We don't sell junk food in our school. In fact, we were the first one to introduce a Mother Dairy stall in our campus which offers health milk products. "Principal of Apeejay School, Pitampura, D. K. Bedi echoed this view, saying: "It will be excellent if junk food is totally banned in schools. Schools should only offer healthy food like juices and milk products to children. "After recording submissions of the Centre's counsel, a bench comprising Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath posted the next hearing in the matter for July 22. The Delhi government also displayed urgency in taking 'unhealthy food' off the shelves of city schools. The counsel representing the Delhi government, Anjum Javed, said that the Lieutenant Governor has the power to issue directions to city schools but that can be done only after the Centre frames guidelines on the issue.
Status report Meanwhile, the Centre also filed a status report in court, explaining why it has taken so long to complete the study in the matter. It told the court, however, that all the research has been completed now.
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Status report Meanwhile, the Centre also filed a status report in court, explaining why it has taken so long to complete the study in the matter. It told the court, however, that all the research has been completed now.
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