Home / Education / IIT Kharagpur Ends Divisive Dining Hall Segregation After Student Outrage
IIT Kharagpur Ends Divisive Dining Hall Segregation After Student Outrage
11 Sep
Summary
- IIT Kharagpur reverses rule dividing dining halls into veg and non-veg zones
- Segregation policy sparked criticism from alumni, faculty, and students
- Institute withdraws rule, states no signage for segregation will be allowed
Just last month, IIT Kharagpur had introduced a policy that divided the dining halls in its BR Ambedkar Hall of Residence into vegetarian and non-vegetarian seating zones. However, this move has now been reversed by the institute's Hall Management Centre.
The earlier directive, which was first notified on August 16th, had prompted swift criticism from alumni, former faculty, and past residents. They argued that such measures risked dividing students along cultural and dietary lines, undermining the spirit of higher education.
In response to the backlash, the Hall Management Centre has withdrawn the rule on September 7th. The centre has now stated that the segregation of mess food should only be done at the preparation and distribution levels, and there must not be any such segregation for seating in the dining hall.
The director's office has also made it clear that no signage suggesting segregation will be permitted in any hall on the campus. This is not the first time a premier technical institute in India has faced controversy over food-based segregation, with similar incidents reported at IIT Madras and IIT Bombay in recent years.
Critics have described such measures as regressive and incompatible with the values of higher education, which should aim to break down barriers rather than reinforce them. The reversal of the rule at IIT Kharagpur is seen as a positive step towards fostering a more inclusive and diverse campus community.
