Lok Sabha Question No. 5574 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Status of Eat Right Initiatives
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Kartick Chandra Paul

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5574 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th MARCH, 2026

## STATUS OF EAT RIGHT INITIATIVES

## 5574. SHRI KARTICK CHANDRA PAUL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of Eat Right India initiatives, including Eat Right Schools and Eat Right Campus programmes, implemented in West Bengal;
- (b) the number of schools, colleges and institutions certified under Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal, district-wise;
- (c) the number of schools and institutions certified specifically within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits;
- (d) the amount of funds allocated and utilised for Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal during the last three years, year-wise;
- (e) whether the Government has conducted any monitoring, inspection or evaluation to ensure compliance with food safety and junk food restrictions in and around schools in Kolkata, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to strengthen awareness, certification and enforcement under Eat Right programmes in West Bengal?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (f): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.

FSSAI carries out a nation-wide 'Eat Right India' movement to focus on preventive and promotive healthcare through social and behavioural change. This initiative is built on three core pillars - Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Sustainable. It is a collective effort of all stakeholders to transform the food ecosystem of the country with a tagline 'Sahi Bhojan

Behtar Jeevan' (Right food, Better life). Under this initiative, there is Eat Right Certification Programme which involves self-assessment, third-party audits, training of food handlers via Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC), and promoting nutritious food, with certifications awarded for compliance. It promotes safe, healthy, and sustainable food environments in campuses including schools.

Eat Right School programme aims at creating awareness about food safety, nutrition & hygiene among school children, and through them among the community at large. Since, food habits are developed early in life, adequate coverage of food and nutrition both in curriculum and extracurricular activities at the school level is essential. Total 156 schools in West Bengal are certified as Eat Right School. Similarly, Eat Right Campus is also implemented to promote safe, healthy, and sustainable food practices, ensure balanced meals, and raise awareness across campus, including Hospitals, Institution, Workplaces, Jails, Colleges, University etc. Total 196 Eat Right Campuses are certified in West Bengal. The details of schools and Campus certified under Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal, districtwise is at Annexure-A and in Kolkata is at Annexure-B .

FSSAI provides financial and technical supports to the states for strengthening awareness, certification and enforcement activities. Funds allocated for last 03 years and utilized by the State of West Bengal is as under:

| The amount of funds allocated and utilised for Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal   | The amount of funds allocated and utilised for Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal   | The amount of funds allocated and utilised for Eat Right initiatives in West Bengal   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year                                                                                  | Funds allocated in Rs.                                                                | Funds utilised in Rs.                                                                 |
| 2022-23                                                                               | 78.978 Lakh                                                                           | 78.978 Lakh                                                                           |
| 2023-24                                                                               | 167.279 lakh                                                                          | 167.279 lakh                                                                          |
| 2024-25                                                                               | 162.41 lakh                                                                           | 162.41 lakh                                                                           |

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## Annexure-A

## The district-wise details of the number of schools and campuses certified under the Eat Right India initiatives in West Bengal

| S. No.   | District                        | No. of Eat Right schools   | No. of Eat Right Campus   |
|----------|---------------------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------|
| 1.       | Bankura                         | 05                         | 08                        |
| 2.       | Barddhaman                      | --                         | 06                        |
| 3.       | Basirhat Health District        | --                         | 03                        |
| 4.       | Birbhum                         | --                         | 02                        |
| 5.       | Bishnupur Health District       | --                         | 03                        |
| 6.       | Burdwan                         | --                         | 04                        |
| 7.       | Cooch Behar                     | 11                         | 03                        |
| 8.       | Dakshin Dinajpur                | 01                         | --                        |
| 9.       | Darjeeling                      | 09                         | 15                        |
| 10.      | Diamond Harbour Health District | --                         | 05                        |
| 11.      | Haora                           | --                         | 01                        |
| 12.      | Hooghly                         | 10                         | 02                        |
| 13.      | Howrah                          | 02                         | 14                        |
| 14.      | Jalpaiguri                      | 03                         | 08                        |
| 15.      | Koch Bihar                      | --                         | 02                        |
| 16.      | Kalimpong                       | 02                         | --                        |
| 17.      | Kolkata                         | 36                         | 31                        |
| 18.      | Malda                           | 16                         | 10                        |
| 19.      | Murshidabad                     | 11                         | 11                        |
| 20.      | Nadia                           | 04                         | 08                        |
| 21.      | Nandigram Health District       | --                         | 05                        |
| 22.      | North Twenty Four Parganas      | 06                         | 18                        |
| 23.      | Paschim Mednipur                | --                         | 01                        |
| 24.      | Purba Bardhaman                 | 05                         | 10                        |
| 25.      | Purba Medinipur                 | 09                         | 10                        |
| 26.      | Puruliya                        | 04                         | 02                        |
| 27.      | South 24 Parganas               | 17                         | 14                        |
| 28.      | Uttar Dinajpur                  | 05                         | --                        |
|          | Total                           | 156                        | 196                       |

## Details of the number of schools and institutions certified specifically within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits

|   S. No. | District/ Sub- District                 |   No. of Eat Right schools |   No. of Eat Campus | Right   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------|---------------------|---------|
|        1 | Kolkata (Kolkata Municipal Corporation) |                         30 |                  22 |         |