The Human Resource Development Ministry wrote to directors of all 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Thursday saying that no view had been taken on segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian mess.
The Hindu had reported that the Ministry had forwarded a letter from a Madhya Pradesh-based grain trader to the IITs on October 15. The letter from S.S.K. Jain of Katni, who described himself as a ‘swayamsevak’ and BJP supporter, demanded the segregation of vegetarian mess as students are influenced by the “western culture through non-vegetarian food.”
The Ministry’s covering letter had asked the IITs to inform it of action they might take in this regard. Non-vegetarian food has been stopped in IIT-Delhi this year and IIT-Madras has a separate vegetarian mess for the last couple of years.
In the letter on Thursday, Under Secretary A.K. Singh of Technical Section-I wrote, “ … the representations were forwarded to the Institutes in routine manner, without any view having being taken thereon.” (sic)
A Ministry source said, “Mr. Jain’s letter along with those of others on the same issue was sent to the IITs as a routine matter. In RTI age, this is done routinely. Add to this, the pressure of Modi’s MyGov portal inviting ideas. Further, no such direction can be given as this is an administrative matter to be decided by respective IITs which are autonomous.”
