TV
Health is wealth and good health is a fundamental privilege for humanity. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities and colleges to prohibit sale of unhealthy foods. It is not for the first time that the UGC has asked the higher educational institutions (HEIs) to implement the same.
The UGC has also asked the HEIs to promote healthy food options in their respective canteens. As per the ICMR report 2020-2023, India is facing a rapid increase in diseases, with 1 in 4 people being either obese or diabetic/pre-diabetic.
National Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has requested to prohibit sales of unhealthy foods in educational institutions and promote healthy food options in canteens.
NAPi is a national think tank on nutrition-consisting of independent experts in epidemiology, human nutrition, community nutrition and paediatrics, medical education, administration, social work, and management.
NAPi has suggested for prohibiting the sales of unhealthy food in HEIs after expressing concern over the rising obesity, diabetes and other Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and to build a case for accelerated implementation of the National multi-sectoral Plan of Action (NMAP) for Prevention and Control of common NCDs (2017-2022), UGC said.
“Higher Education Institutions (HEls) are once again requested to implement the prohibition of sales of unhealthy foods in educational institutions and promote healthy food options in canteens to curb the ongoing epidemic of NCDs effectively by reducing the consumption of unhealthy ultra processed of HFSS foods,” UGC letter read.
