New Delhi: Roti and poori have been removed from the mess menu for certain days at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), after gas supplies to the campus were cut by 20 per cent, prompting student organisations to request the administration to step in to ensure a smooth running of mess and dhabas.
Following the supply cut, the revised mess menu at the Lohit hostel specifies that roti will not be served at lunch on Tuesday and Saturday, with alternatives such as "only rice" or khichdi being provided instead.
According to two separate letters sent from the Indraprastha Gas Limited to the mess heads of the Sabarmati and Lohit hostels, "... supplies to all industrial and commercial customers are being restricted to 80 per cent of their average consumption for last six months with effect from 6 am on March 11, 2026".
The food menus at several JNU canteens have also been affected by the shortage, according to student groups.
A statement issued by the Disha Students' Organisation (DSO) said some food items have already been removed from canteen menus due to the "impending crisis". It cited examples, such as samosas no longer being served at the School of International Studies (SIS) canteen and tea being unavailable at the TEFLAS canteen.
The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) said it will lead a march to the office of the dean of students on Tuesday, demanding preemptive measures to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of mess facilities and dhabas on the campus.
A student from the SIS said, "In the coming days, if the crisis continues, mess menus will be altered even further and the prices of food will increase. A large number of students who come to institutions like JNU cannot afford hiked prices of food." The student added that while the current changes to the mess menu are not yet a major problem, anxiety and apprehension among the student community have already begun to grow.
Student organisations, such as the DSO and JNUSU, have called upon the university administration to ensure a smooth functioning of mess facilities and dhabas, and that mess fees are not increased during the crisis.
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