19, Aug 2011

It is painfully common at marriages, parties and social gatherings to see huge quantities of food being wasted. Concerned over this colossal and needless wastage, the Food Ministry has recommended to the Ministry of Human Resources Development as well as State governments that food wastage as a subject be included in school curriculum to create awareness among students.
Minister of State (Independent) for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V.  Thomas has appealed to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and State Education Ministers, stating that the subject be included in the secondary and higher secondary syllabuses. Mr. Thomas said that the dishes served at lavish parties are a “vulgar display of wealth,” adding that the “expenditure on such occasions put pressure on prevailing prices of foodgrains leading to inflation and scarcities.” He believes that  “inclusion of a chapter on this topic in the social sciences syllabus, on the lines of environmental awareness or disaster management, will go a long way in making children conscious of this important issue from a young age.”
Mr. Thomas urged Mr. Sibal to ensure that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) makes the necessary revision to the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for including food wastage as a subject, and recommended that similar action be taken by the individual State boards.
The minister had recently held a meeting of eminent citizens, legislators, activists and experts to discuss the problem and come up with remedial measures. Condemning food wastage in a country where millions go hungry,  those attending the meeting “unanimously resolved” to launch a special media campaign to sensitize citizens against recklessly wasteful expenditure and food wastage. The need to sensitize students and youth about avoidable food wastage was also stressed by the stakeholders.
It was also decided to engage the IIPA (Indian Institute of Public Administration) to conduct a survey to assess the magnitude of the problem.