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Reducing Cooking Oil Usage in School Meals
Context:
The Union Government has advised all states and Union Territories to reduce cooking oil usage by 10% in school meals under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN) scheme.
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- The advisory was issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) under the Ministry of Education.
- It aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concerns regarding the rising incidence of childhood obesity, as highlighted in Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025 and Mann Ki Baat.
- The initiative aims to curb childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits among school children.
Key Directives of the Advisory
- Training of Cook-cum-Helpers: All cooks involved in the PM-POSHAN scheme must be trained to reduce oil usage.
- Adoption of Healthier Cooking Methods: Schools are encouraged to use steaming, grilling, baking, and boiling instead of deep-frying.
- Awareness Programs: Schools must educate students, parents, and teachers on the adverse effects of excessive oil consumption.
- Role of School Management Committees (SMCs): Schools must conduct meetings with students, parents, and community members to emphasise healthy eating habits.
Rationale Behind the Initiative
- Rising Childhood Obesity: A Lancet report indicated that the number of overweight children in India rose from 0.4 million in 1990 to 12.5 million in 2022.
- Health Implications: Excessive oil consumption is linked to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and other lifestyle disorders.
- PM-POSHAN’s Role: The Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) provides nutritional meals to students from Bal-Vatika to Class VIII in government and government-aided schools.
- Balanced Nutrition: Meals under the scheme include fortified grains, pulses, vegetables, and fortified edible oil in prescribed amounts (5g for primary students and 7.5g for upper primary students).
Implementation Strategies
- Awareness Campaigns
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- Conduct special sessions with nutrition experts on low-oil diets.
- Organise school-level quizzes, debates, and essay competitions on healthy eating habits.
- Launch campaigns in schools, communities, and through digital platforms.
- Training and Capacity Building
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- Train teachers to identify obesity and guide parents on portion control and increasing physical activity.
State-Level Implementation: The Case of Karnataka
- Karnataka has extended the PM-POSHAN scheme to Classes IX and X, benefiting 54 lakh students.
- The Commissioner for Public Instruction, K.V. Trilok Chandra, has instructed officials to implement the advisory by issuing necessary circulars.
- Introduce student health ambassadors to advocate for healthy food choices.
- Encourage students to prepare low-oil recipes at home under parental supervision.
- School-Level Interventions
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- Ensure school canteens provide low-oil meal options and nutritious alternatives.
- Utilise vegetables grown in School Nutrition Gardens to enhance meal quality.
- Advocate for reduced consumption of processed foods, which often contain hidden unhealthy fats.
Expected Benefits
- Healthier Dietary Practices: Reduction in oil consumption will help prevent obesity and lifestyle diseases.
- Better Academic Performance: Healthy eating improves cognitive function and concentration among students.
- Long-term Public Health Impact: The initiative contributes to lowering the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India.
