Health risks: CBSE directs schools to set up ‘oil boards'
These boards, which will be displayed in common areas such as cafeterias, lobbies, and meeting rooms, will serve as daily reminders to encourage healthier dietary choices among students and staff.
This initiative follows a similar directive issued two months ago, when schools were asked to install 'sugar boards' to help reduce students' sugar intake.
'The boards are part of a broader push to address the alarming increase in obesity rates,' said Pragya M Singh, director (Aacademics), CBSE. Citing data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21), she noted that more than one in five urban adults in India are overweight or obese.
The CBSE has also urged the schools to promote physical activity through measures like encouraging stair use, organising short exercise breaks during the day, and creating safe walking routes within school premises.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
CBSE's oil boards to make students face the greasy truth
1 2 In response to the growing obesity crisis among school children, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed all affiliated schools to install "oil boards" on their campuses. The move follows alarming projections from the NFHS-5 and 2025 Global Obesity Forecasting Study, which estimate that the number of overweight and obese adults in India will surge from 18 crore in 2021 to nearly 44.9 crore by 2050—placing India among countries with the highest obesity burden globally. The "oil boards" initiative is a continuation of CBSE's previous "sugar boards" campaign, aimed at raising awareness about unhealthy eating habits and promoting informed dietary choices among students, staff, and parents. CBSE has emphasised that poor nutrition and low physical activity are major contributors to childhood obesity. As part of the campaign, schools are required to install oil boards in visible areas such as cafeterias, lobbies, and meeting rooms. These boards, developed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), display the fat content in popular foods like samosas, kachoris, banana chips, French fries, burgers, and pizzas. For example, a single samosa contains 28 grams of fat—nearly the entire recommended daily intake of 27–30 grams. To reinforce the message, schools are also encouraged to print health tips on official stationery, including notebooks, folders, and letterheads. Additionally, schools are advised to promote healthier food options such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat snacks, while discouraging sugary drinks and deep-fried items. Physical activity is also being emphasized, with suggestions like using stairs, organising short exercise breaks, and creating walking routes within school premises. Schools have the flexibility to customise boards based on their needs and are expected to display them prominently. FSSAI has also provided educational materials and awareness videos to support the initiative. Welcoming the move, Gurmant Kaur Gill, principal, Guru Nanak International Public School, said, "The sugar boards created much awareness among our students and parents. Now, we are preparing to install oil boards to carry the campaign forward." Seema Gupta, Principal of BVM School, echoed the sentiment, stating that visual tools like these are effective in helping children and families make healthier food choices.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Over 60,000 tribal children in Andhra Pradesh suffer from malnutrition, says Centre
VISAKHAPATNAM: Tribal malnutrition remains a persistent concern in Andhra Pradesh, with recent data highlighting the continued vulnerability of children in these communities. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, more than 60,000 tribal children under the age of 5 in the State are affected by various forms of malnutrition. As per the Poshan Tracker data from June 2025, Andhra Pradesh has recorded 33,143 stunted children, 10,039 wasted children, and 18,620 underweight children in tribal areas. Stunting reflects impaired growth and development due to chronic or recurrent malnutrition, and is characterised by low height for age. Wasting, on the other hand, indicates acute malnutrition, and is marked by low weight for height, often resulting from recent and severe weight loss. Underweight, defined as low weight for age, is an outcome of both acute and chronic malnutrition. These indicators not only point to nutritional deficiencies but also signal deeper structural issues such as poor access to healthcare, inadequate maternal education, and food insecurity in tribal regions. The data corresponds with findings from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), which show that 44.5% of tribal children under 5 in India are stunted, 20% wasted, and 45.2% underweight.
India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
CBSE and Unesco to expand wellness programmes to 30,000 schools across India
UNESCO, CBSE, and NCERT trained over 290 school leaders in Delhi this week to strengthen health and wellness education across 30,000 CBSE-affiliated schools. The workshop was part of the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP), which aims to reach nearly 15 million students with lessons on mental health, gender equality, nutrition, and emotional MASTER TRAINERS TO REACH 15 MILLION STUDENTSThe SHWP, which was launched under the Ayushman Bharat initiative in February 2020, focuses on preventive and holistic health awareness among goal is to reach around 15 million students through trained school leaders and educators acting as master trainers. Over June and July 2025, more than 290 principals, teachers, and school heads from 22 states and 5 union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Kerala, attended the training the workshop, Anandrao V Patil, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education, highlighted the connection between good health, inclusive education, and the broader goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He called educators 'changemakers' and stressed their role in nurturing thoughtful and empathetic Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani spoke about the importance of understanding students beyond the said many student issues stem from situations at home, which are often missed. The training, he noted, helps teachers notice these signs early and respond with care and FOCUSES ON MENTAL HEALTH, GENDER EQUALITY, AND ONLINE SAFETYUNESCO's South Asia Director Tim Curtis underlined the point that health and learning are not separate concerns. 'Every wellness session, every teacher trained, every child heard, it's a step toward systems that put learners at the centre,' he help implement SHWP, NCERT and UNESCO have developed a 24-hour curriculum, including training modules, guidebooks, and additional content like animated videos and materials cover 11 key wellness themes such as mental health, gender equality, reproductive health, and online are available in English, Hindi, and nine regional 2022, NCERT has hosted eleven five-day training workshops, producing 970 master trainers. These trainers now support implementation across CBSE's Centres of far, more than 40,000 teachers have been trained through 754 programme reflects a long-term plan to embed wellness in school life, not as an add-on, but as part of what it means to educate the whole child.- Ends
