Odisha Colleges Asked to Cut Cooking Oil Use in Hostels, Canteens

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has directed all government-run and government-aided colleges to reduce the use of cooking oil in campus hostels and canteens and avoid high-oil breakfast items such as puri, vada and bonda (potato chop).

The Higher Education Department issued the directive to principals on Friday, citing the economic impact of continuing global supply-chain disruptions and uncertainties following the Covid-19 pandemic and conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.

Under the new instructions, colleges have been asked to reduce cooking oil consumption in meals served to students and minimise deep-fried food, while ensuring that nutritional requirements are not compromised.

The department has specifically advised canteens and hostels to avoid or reduce high-oil breakfast items such as puris, vadas and bondas. It has also encouraged the use of traditional ghee, mustard oil and groundnut oil instead of imported edible oils such as palm, sunflower and soybean oil.

The world has been facing repeated supply chain disruptions and crisis since the COVID pandemic. The conflict in Ukraine also resulted in supply-side issues of food, fertiliser and fuel. The recent conflict in Iran has further exacerbated this food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, the department said in its letter to college principals.

The move comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Indian households to reduce cooking oil consumption by 10 per cent, both to promote healthier eating habits and reduce the country’s dependence on imported edible oils.

According to a government official, the Odisha initiative is aimed not only at reducing the economic burden arising from global uncertainties but also at encouraging healthier dietary practices among students and young people.

The department has also asked colleges to involve volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and Youth Red Cross in spreading awareness about reducing oil consumption. Volunteers have been advised to organise awareness programmes in communities and encourage households to adopt lower-oil cooking practices.

The directive assumes significance given the scale of Odisha’s higher education network. The state has more than 1,000 government colleges with a combined student strength of around 2.87 lakh, as per reports.