Rajasthan HC flags Gen Z, Alpha issues, bans junk food near schools

The Rajasthan High Court has banned the sale of carbonated drinks, chips and other junk food in school canteens and within 50 metres of school gates as it issued a slew of directions on balanced food and nutrition besides expressing concern over paper leaks, excessive screen time and inadequate infrastructure in rural schools. Taking suo motu cognisance of "systemic deficiencies" in foundational institutions meant to nurture Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta, a Jodhpur bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand directed every school to constitute a food safety and nutrition committee, display menu boards in canteens carrying information on calorie count, ingredients and nutritional value, and ensure that mid-day meals conform to balanced-diet guidelines.
The court on Monday issued notices to the Union Education and Human Resource Secretary, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Rajasthan Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Education), Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The court directed every school to set up a School Food Safety and Nutrition Committee within four weeks, with teachers, parents and student representatives as members. Details of these committees must be uploaded on the Education Department website. Within eight weeks, school canteens have also been asked to display menu boards showing the calorie count, ingredients and nutritional value of food items, and to introduce a traffic-light labelling system.
The Bench directed the state government to file an affidavit within six weeks on the steps taken to implement the 2020 regulations on safe and balanced food in government, aided and private schools. The court said mid-day meals and other nutrition schemes must follow FSSAI guidelines on a balanced diet, and ordered the creation of a dedicated portal and helpline for complaints related to food safety violations.