Lovely Professional university (LPU) made headlines by banning American soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, on its campus. While this might look like a “patriotic” move or a stand against Western consumerism, the decision raises bigger questions: Is the university focusing on real education, or just cheap stunts to grab attention?
From Classrooms to Cola Wars
Universities are meant to shape minds, research, and innovation, not police soda choices. LPU’s ban on Coca-Cola might win claps from those who see everything through the lens of nationalism, but for students — who pay lakhs in fees — the concern isn’t about fizzy drinks. It’s about whether their university is preparing them for global careers.
Because let’s face it — Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and yes, even Coca-Cola don’t care what you drink in your college canteen. They care about your skills, critical thinking, and innovation.
What If the Tables Turned?
Imagine a scenario:
LPU bans American soft drinks.
Tomorrow, American companies say, “We won’t hire students from institutions that ridicule us.”
Who suffers? Not the university management, but the students, whose careers are already facing global competition.
In an interconnected world, cutting ties with global brands over soft drink politics is not “patriotism” — it’s short-sightedness.
Students Deserve Better
At a time when students from india are striving to break into top global firms, universities should be:
Building world-class research labs,
Attracting international faculty,
Creating innovation ecosystems.
Instead, banning Coca-Cola is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone — flashy, but meaningless.
The Bigger Picture
If LPU truly cares about “student health” or “national interest,” it should:
Ban junk food from canteens.
Teach entrepreneurship so students build the next indian Coca-Cola.
Focus on placements and research rather than PR stunts.
Because, in the real world, a resume that says “Worked on AI research” opens doors. A resume that says “Studied in a university that banned Coke” does not.
🔥 Education is about careers, not cola wars. LPU must stop serving soda politics and start serving real opportunities.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel