No business in school?

New Delhi, Sept. 2: Canteens in schools across India are in line for surprise checks by the country’s apex child protection body to curb unhealthy, junk food that has proliferated nationwide, setting the stage for an epidemic of obesity.

Officials of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights will conduct random inspections at school canteens, which, they suspect, might be luring children with unhealthy food made with cheap ingredients.

The debate over junk food in school canteens is not new, nor are calls for a ban on them.

The commission’s decision, however, marks the first time a central government body will conduct such surprise checks.

“Studies have repeatedly shown that children — especially in public schools — are increasingly facing obesity and other health problems. And that is because of the junk food they eat,” commission member Sandhya Bajaj told The Telegraph.

“Schools cannot control what children eat outside, but they can certainly prevent their own canteens from offering children soft drinks, burgers or samosas,” she said.

The commission recently wrote to education secretaries of all states directing them to urge schools to replace junk food with “nutritious meals” in their canteens.

Although schools — even those run by the Centre — do not directly come under the commission, a violation of the directive would see the ministry of women and child development stepping in.

“The commission, like the National Human Rights Commission, only has recommending and quasi-judicial powers. However, if its directives are violated, the central government will take action against the offenders,” a senior official in the ministry said.

Bajaj said the commission would focus on a public awareness campaign alongside the random checks.

“Across the country, officials will hold surprise checks. There is no other way we can ensure that our directive is being followed,” he said.

Each state, Bajaj added, should formulate its own school “nutrition policy”. Milk and juice (without added sweeteners) should be the drinks available in canteens, the commission has said in its letter. Fatty foods and hot dogs — common in Delhi schools — should be replaced with lean meat, vegetables and fruits, it has recommended.

“The exact food product can vary from state to state, depending on regional preferences,” Bajaj said.

School principals, however, called random checks “unacceptable”.

“There needs to be a proper procedure. No one has any problems in their canteens being scrutinised, but we must know who is coming. The school is no thoroughfare,” Goldie Malhotra, principal of Modern School, Vasant Vihar, said.

The canteen at Modern School, Malhotra said, had stopped serving aerated drinks almost six years ago. Paneer rolls and kulcha-chhola are the most popular items on the canteen’s menu, she added.