📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Christopher Michel
Education
Rajasthan bans chips and cold drinks in school canteens to curb junk food
✍️ India Today
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 06:02 AM
👁 58
The state government has ordered all school canteens to stop selling chips and carbonated drinks, aiming to reduce junk‑food consumption among students.
The Rajasthan government recently issued a directive ordering all government‑run and private schools in the state to remove chips, potato‑based snacks and carbonated beverages from their canteens.
The step is part of a broader effort to address rising childhood obesity and related health concerns, officials said, noting that excessive intake of salty snacks and sugary drinks harms the nutrition of school‑age children.
Schools are instructed to replace the banned items with healthier alternatives such as fruits, nuts and low‑fat dairy products. Non‑compliance could attract penalties, including withdrawal of canteen funding.
Parents and teachers have welcomed the move, while some vendors expressed worries about loss of sales. The education department will monitor implementation over the coming months.
The step is part of a broader effort to address rising childhood obesity and related health concerns, officials said, noting that excessive intake of salty snacks and sugary drinks harms the nutrition of school‑age children.
Schools are instructed to replace the banned items with healthier alternatives such as fruits, nuts and low‑fat dairy products. Non‑compliance could attract penalties, including withdrawal of canteen funding.
Parents and teachers have welcomed the move, while some vendors expressed worries about loss of sales. The education department will monitor implementation over the coming months.