New Delhi: Delhi University's Hansraj College has stopped serving non-vegetarian food to students in the canteen or hostel after the offline mode of study resumed after the Covid pandemic. Delhi University first shut down and switched to online classes in March 2020 when the national lockdown was imposed at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed physical classes in February 2022.
Some students, while talking to ANI said that the move by the administration is creating difficulties for south Indian students.
Abhay Maurya, a second-year student of Hansraj College said, "Earlier, non-veg food used to be served, but suddenly non-veg food and eggs were stopped. The students who have come from the south face a lot of issues because they have the habit of eating non-veg. I think that students who want to eat non-veg food should be given non-veg food."
While a third-year student said people who are vegetarians have problems if non-veg food is served.
Satyanarayana, a third-year student of Hansraj College said, "If the majority of students like vegetarian food and if they only eat veg food then non-veg food is not just a category of food, but many things are a carrier with it. Any vegetarian person would not want to have their food in the same utensil as non-veg because their emotions are attached to it. People who eat non-vegetarian food can eat vegetarian food as well, but vegetarians can only eat vegetarian food."
The move is however welcomed by some students.
Vivek Kumar, a third-year student of Hansraj College said, "Number of students having non-veg food in a hostel is less. People who want to eat non-veg can have it outside. Students are happy with vegetarian food."
Principal of Hansraj College Prof Rama said that the administration has not received any complaints against the decision to serve vegetarian food only.
"No student has reached out to me or complained about it. In Hansraj College's canteen, non-veg food was never served. The facility of serving non-veg food was there in the hostel, but the time when COVID came into our lives and changed our lifestyle and we thought that we have to focus on our health and lifestyle," Prof Rama said.
She further said that the hostel committee for food must have had a word with the students before taking the decision.
"I don't remember when exactly the serving of non-veg food was stopped if it was either 3 years back or 4, but as the hostel has a proper committee and the committee must have had a word with the students before taking the decision and then the decision must have taken to stop serving non-veg food," Rama added.
She also said that the administration takes any decision keeping the majority of students in mind.
"We haven't given admission to students on a promise of serving non-veg food. Every institute has some rules," she added.
Prof Rama also said that the students who want to eat non-veg food can have it outside as there is no restriction on it.
"Also, if students are complaining about not having non-veg food, in that case, we haven't stopped them from eating non-veg outside. If it's not being served in the college then they can have it outside," she further said.
