The Government of Maharashtra has been urged by a group of pediatricians to stop offering students food items that are sugary in nature in midday meals, stated a report by PTI.
The Maha Academy of Paediatrics wrote to Deepak Kesarkar, Minister for School Education, Government of Maharashtra, about the issue, stating that consuming such food products can lead to diabetes and obesity in children.
The letter referenced the government resolution (GR) which stated that under the the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana, which was earlier known as the midday meal scheme, rice pudding will be served to students as many as four times a week.
"The GR mentions that 25 grams of sugar be added to the meals of students from Class I to V and 45 grams for students from Class VI to VIII," the letter said.
"We need 25 grams of sugar per day. There are two types of sugar. One is added and the other is naturally present in food items. The students keep eating other food items throughout the day, which increases their sugar intake," Maha Paediatrics Association president Dr Ramgopal Chejara told PTI.
"Adding 25 grams and 45 grams of sugar in these meals could make the children diabetic and obese. Our teams have visited schools. We have appealed to the government to stop giving such sugary food items," he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve pulled up the Government of Maharashtra regarding the same.
The state government thinks the future generation is a factory to digest excess sugar, he said in a post on X.
