College students of Azim Premji College, Bengaluru, are up in arms in opposition to the administration over poor high quality meals allegedly served within the campus cafeteria. College students have alleged that the campus meals lacks sufficient vitamin, is of poor high quality, and has induced well being points a number of instances. They’ve demanded better pupil participation in choosing meals distributors in addition to accountability.
The scholars claimed that the meals prices have risen to Rs 7,000-8,000 monthly, resulting in a backlash in opposition to the administration.
Whereas its discussions are underway with the administration, the college’s pupil physique has listed out a sequence of calls for over meals administration and security together with searching for energetic pupil participation within the decision-making course of. The scholars have additionally submitted to the administration an in depth constitution consisting of calls for corresponding to minimal normal ensures for meals supplied on campus, which the college officers are learnt to be reviewing.
College students submit survey report
The scholar physique submitted a memorandum to the registrar in February together with a survey that confirmed discontent among the many pupil group over meals high quality, amount and administration within the campus canteen.
The survey report, a replica of which is with indianexpress.com, elicited responses from 800 undergraduate and postgraduate college students. The report confirmed that just about 70 per cent of the respondents discovered the meals supplied on the campus canteen isn’t assembly the dietary necessities. Eighty-five per cent of the scholars supported the thought of scholars being concerned in making choices about meals distributors, meals pricing, menu, and meals composition, amongst different components. The survey additionally revealed that 66 per cent of scholars supported the thought of APU operating its personal mess with its personal employed employees who function, handle, guarantee high quality management. Sixty-two per cent of respondents additionally discovered the value of things within the campus cafeteria unreasonable.
The meals constitution endorsed by almost 800 college students highlights considerations concerning meals, high quality, amount, affordability and dietary worth. The constitution requires the appropriate of scholars to determine their meal parts with out having to pay additional prices and urges the college to maintain meals costs low. The constitution additionally calls for increased meals high quality, guaranteeing meals will not be diluted with extra water, gravy, or maida and that hygiene requirements are strictly adopted. Moreover, the scholars insist that meals scholarships ought to cowl precise prices and be disbursed month-to-month as a substitute of weekly. The scholars additionally urged APU to run its personal mess with in-house employees for higher administration and high quality management.
APU administration’s response
The administration of APU responding to the coed’s memorandum outlined measures taken to enhance the meals system and addressed particular calls for raised by college students.
Story continues under this advert
Based on APU’s response, reviewed by indianexpress.com, college students now play a better function in menu planning and meals high quality assessments by sensory evaluations performed with the meals and beverage group. “Escalation protocols for complaints have additionally been revised, with designated F&B group members obtainable throughout meal hours. Moreover, periodic uncooked materials audits have been bolstered to make sure model compliance, and extra meal counters have been opened to cut back wait instances,” the administration mentioned.
The administration acknowledged that whereas a vast meal plan isn’t at the moment possible with out revising pricing fashions, different options are being explored. “Meals monetary help (FFA) will proceed masking three meals each day, with provisions for revision based mostly on value fluctuations. Moreover, tuck store distributors have been directed to introduce lower-priced MRP merchandise to reinforce affordability,” it mentioned.
The college additionally mentioned that it had penalised distributors for inconsistencies and launched common high quality checks. “Dietary audits can even be performed, and college students can have a say in menu revisions,” the assertion mentioned. “The college can be evaluating totally different cafeteria fashions, together with a subscription-based system, and stays open to pupil participation in food-related choices.”
“Although the administration has responded, among the solutions are imprecise. Each the coed group and the administration are actually working in direction of resolving the problem,” mentioned a pupil who wished to be nameless.
APU is but to touch upon this subject.