New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) earlier this week directed all affiliated schools to put up ‘oil boards’ on campus—displaying oil and fat content in everyday snacks and meals—to combat the growing crisis of childhood diabetes and obesity.
The initiative, much like ‘sugar boards’, comes close on the heels of the health ministry’s direction to all central institutions to install “oil and sugar boards” posters that highlight the hidden fat and sugar content in commonly consumed Indian snacks such as ‘samosas’ and ‘jalebis’.
Also, the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a directive last year, urging education boards to provide proper care and exam accommodations for students with type 1 diabetes, including allowing insulin pumps and glucometers in exam halls.
The initiative, backed by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR–NIN), is intended as a behavioural nudge to promote healthier eating habits among people.
According to a 2024 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 35 million children under the age of five were overweight. “Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight is on the rise in low- and middle-income countries,” the report said.
In a letter to the principals of all affiliated schools, Dr. Praggya M. Singh, the director (academics) at CBSE, highlighted that one in five adults in urban areas are overweight or obese.
She noted that as per The Lancet Global Burden of Disease 2021 obesity forecasting study published in 2025, the number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 18 crores in 2021 to 44.9 crores by 2050, “making it the country with the second-highest global burden.”
“In view of the above, you are requested to do the needful in this regard so as to promote a healthier school environment and safeguarding the well-being of children,” Singh wrote in the letter dated 15 July.
She asked schools to sensitise staff and students through initiatives such as installing ‘oil board’ displays including in common areas like cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms and other public spaces to raise awareness.
Similarly, she has also asked schools to print health messages on all official stationery including letterheads, envelopes, notepads and folders.
Singh asked schools to promote healthy meals that include fruits, vegetables and low-fat options, and limiting availability of sugary drinks and high-fat snacks.
Along with this, she has asked schools to focus on increasing physical activity of students including encouraging them to use stairs, organising short exercise breaks, and facilitating walking routes.
In the letter, the CBSE has also provided schools with prototype posters that encourage them to take creative liberty in localising the boards while adhering to the core message. The posters display the oil and fat content in everyday snacks and meals such as samosas, chips, pakoras, and other fried items.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)