Parliament Question: Sugar Board in Schools

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3488 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 Sugar Board in Schools †3488. Shri Ashok Kumar Rawat:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is contemplating to set up sugar boards in schools in view of the increasing number of diabetes in children in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if no, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government proposes to launch any campaign to prevent obesity and increasing sugar levels among children in the country; and

(d) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): As per CBSE Circular No. Acad-26/2025, all CBSE-affiliated schools are mandated to install 'Sugar Boards' to raise awareness about the risks of excessive sugar intake and promote healthier food choices. These boards are to display key information such as recommended sugar intake, sugar content in commonly consumed foods, and healthier alternatives. Schools are also required to conduct awareness seminars/workshops, and a total of 4373 seminars/workshops have been organized so far, with 6,55,781 students, 47,386 teachers, and 61,696 parents participating.

To monitor compliance, schools must upload a report, including photographs of the 'Sugar Boards' and details of the awareness activities. So far 1527 schools uploaded their reports. This monitoring mechanism helps track the progress of the initiative and ensure effective implementation across all affiliated schools.

The Ministry of Education, Government of India has issued an advisory [D.O. No.

1-14/2024-PMP (Health) dated 15.03.2025] to all schools in the country, including private schools, to encourage reduction of oil consumption in foods by 10% to addressstudent obesity. To raise awareness about benefits of reducing oil, the advisory recommends the schools to conduct special classes, invite nutrition experts, and hold quizzes on healthy eating. Activities like Eco-Club discussions, yoga, and exercise sessions promote well-being may be organised in schools. Teachers may guide parents on managing obesity, while students engage in low-oil cooking, recipe sharing, and health tracking projects. Emphasis on better cooking methods, portion control, and limiting processed foods encourages balanced diets.

To promote sustainable behavioural changes and reduction in excessive consumption of oil and sugar, both of which are key contributors to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle related disorders, the Ministry of Education, Government of India has requested all the States / UTs [D.O. No. 17-21/2025- Coord dated 01.07.2025] to issue directions to all schools under their jurisdiction to Install oil and Sugar Boards displays, print health messages on all official stationery and promote healthy meals & physical activity.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has given due emphasis on the role of nutrition in the holistic development of children and pointed out that nutrition plays a very significant role in learning, particularly in the early years. Considering the importance of this area, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023 (NCF-SE 2023) has given practical recommendations to include this in the curriculum of different subjects as well as in grades and also include Health and well-being as one of the aims of school education.

NCERT’s new textbooks brought out as follow-up of the NCF-SE 2023 provides space to healthy food and balanced diet in the textbooks –  The World Around Us –Grade 3 includes a chapter on Food We Eat  Physical Education and Well-being-Grade 3 includes perspective of Healthy Diet as per Ayurveda.

 Curiosity-Science Textbook-Grade 6 includes a chapter on Mindful eating which discusses –which kinds of foods make us ‘Obese’.

Chapters on Foods in textbooks include malnutritional aspects of food including obesity. ***