**Executive Summary:**
The Ministry of Education is addressing rising rates of obesity and diabetes in children by mandating 'Sugar Boards' in CBSE-affiliated schools to raise awareness about sugar consumption, and encouraging schools nationwide to reduce oil consumption. CBSE schools must install Sugar Boards and conduct awareness activities, while all schools are advised to reduce oil in foods and promote healthy habits. States and UTs are requested to direct all schools to install oil and sugar boards.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Sugar Boards in CBSE Schools:**
* CBSE-affiliated schools must install 'Sugar Boards' displaying recommended sugar intake, sugar content in foods, and healthier alternatives (CBSE Circular No. Acad262025).
* Schools must conduct awareness seminars/workshops. 4373 such events have already been organised.
* Schools must upload reports with photos of Sugar Boards and details of awareness activities. 1527 schools have uploaded the report.
* **Reducing Oil Consumption in All Schools:**
* All schools, including private schools, are encouraged to reduce oil consumption in foods by 10% (D.O. No. 1142024PMP Health dated 15.03.2025).
* Schools should conduct special classes, invite nutrition experts, and hold quizzes on healthy eating.
* Activities like EcoClub discussions, yoga, and exercise sessions are encouraged.
* **State and UT Directives:**
* States and UTs are requested to direct all schools under their jurisdiction to:
* Install Oil and Sugar Boards.
* Print health messages on official stationery (D.O. No. 17212025 Coord dated 01.07.2025).
* Promote healthy meals and physical activity.
* **National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023:**
* NEP 2020 emphasizes the role of nutrition in holistic child development.
* NCFSE 2023 provides practical recommendations to include nutrition in the curriculum and considers Health and wellbeing as one of the aims of school education.
* NCERT's new textbooks include content on healthy food and balanced diets.
**Impact Analysis**
**CBSE-Affiliated Schools:**
* *Impact:* Required to install Sugar Boards, conduct awareness activities, and submit reports.
* *Action Required:* Install Sugar Boards, conduct activities, upload reports.
**All Schools (including Private Schools):**
* *Impact:* Encouraged to reduce oil consumption, promote healthy eating habits, and organize related activities.
* *Action Required:* Reduce oil in food preparation, promote healthy eating through classes, events, and activities.
**State and Union Territory Education Departments:**
* *Impact:* Requested to issue directives to all schools under their jurisdiction.
* *Action Required:* Issue directives to schools to install Oil and Sugar Boards, print health messages, and promote healthy habits.
**Teachers:**
* *Impact:* Need to implement awareness programs, educate students and guide parents.
* *Action Required:* Guide parents on managing obesity, engage students in low oil cooking, recipe sharing, and health tracking projects.
**Students:**
* *Impact:* To benefit from awareness programs, healthier food choices, and increased physical activity.
* *Action Required:* Engage in low-oil cooking, recipe sharing, and health tracking projects.
**Parents:**
* *Impact:* To receive guidance on managing obesity and promoting healthy habits at home.
* *Action Required:* Implement healthy eating habits at home.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The central government ministry responsible for education in India, overseeing school education and literacy.
Shri Ashok Kumar Rawat: Member of Parliament who raised a question in the Lok Sabha regarding sugar boards in schools.
Shri Jayant Chaudhary: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education who provided the answer to the Lok Sabha question.
CBSE: Central Board of Secondary Education, a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India.
National Education Policy NEP 2020: A comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.
National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023 NCFSE 2023: A framework for developing the curriculum for schools in India, with a focus on holistic development and nutrition.
D.O. No. 1142024PMP Health: An advisory issued by the Ministry of Education to all schools in the country, encouraging reduction of oil consumption in foods to address student obesity.
States UTs: Refers to all States and Union Territories of India.
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.
***