Rajasthan bans fast foods in college canteens

The Rajasthan government has asked all state-run colleges to ban sale of junk foods including pizzas, burgers and cold drinks on their premises, an official said Friday.

“On the request of the state government, the directorate of college education has written to principals of all state run colleges directing them not to sell pizza, burger, cold drinks etc. in their canteens,” a senior officer of the directorate told IANS.

The move aims at promoting healthy food habits and discouraging intake of foods that are high in saturated fats and also carbonated drinks, he said.

“It is the best time to develop habits for good health during college time. If taught properly in this period, a person is likely to remain health conscious throughout his or her life,” said the official.

The directive also advises the college administration to run awareness campaigns among students, warning them of ill effects these kinds of food can have on their health, the official added.

The directives ask the principals to try to inform students about benefits of eating healthy food and participating in sports and games.

The state government had earlier prohibited sale of nicotine products, including cigarettes, in and around educational institutes.