The Supreme Court has ruled that all hotels, dhabas, and food stalls along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand must display their food licence and registration certificates. However, it chose not to get involved in recent government orders asking eateries to show QR codes or the names of owners and staff.
A bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh said that pilgrims have the right to know whether an eatery serves vegetarian food, especially if the menu is changed just for the yatra. But the court said it will not look into the legality of QR code orders or name displays for now, as the yatra ends on July 23 and these issues may no longer matter afterward.
The controversy began in 2024 when the UP and Uttarakhand governments told food outlets on the Kanwar route to put up big signs with names of owners and staff. The Supreme Court had stopped that order, calling it a violation of privacy. In 2025, authorities introduced a QR code system through the Food Safety app to provide details like ownership and food category. Critics claimed it was just another way to force identity disclosure.
Petitions were filed saying the new system still violated people’s rights. The court issued notices to both state governments but, in its July 22 decision, limited its direction to licence display only. It did not stop the QR code system but said there is no legal requirement for eateries to show it or reveal who owns the place.
The court also said pilgrims who follow vegetarian diets must be able to identify food types easily, especially if an eatery has changed its food offerings for the event.
The case highlights a debate between privacy rights and state regulations. The court’s move keeps things simple for now but leaves room for further review later.
