IIT-B students voice against paying for opting out of mess food

Mumbai: Several students from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) have raised their voices against a system where they have to pay to opt out of the institute’s mess food facility.

As per an RTI based on three dormitories which were submitted by a student group at IIT-B, approximately 60% who pay for the mess service avoid eating there. IIT-B charges every student ₹1,260 per month to opt out of the service, which comes to ₹7,560 every semester.

The data sheet of the February bill (in possession of HT) shows the institute received almost ₹1,28,250 as a ‘non-messing’ fee. In light of the recent increase in the current mess cost, the students’ group – Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) IIT-B – has demanded the elimination of this ‘non-messing’ fee and tweeted about the same with posters and RTI data.

“Students pay a total of ₹27,000 each semester to eat at the mess. Since academic areas are away from hostels and the mess, most students miss out on the restricted lunch and dinner hours. However, opting out of the mess costs us a heavy sum in addition to paying for food outside, so we are in a fix,” said a hostel resident at the IIT-B.

In August 2022, a group of IIT-B students went on a relay hunger strike to protest against various fee hikes at the institute, one of which was the semester mess fee. The students also demanded permission to pay mess fees in instalments, which was granted by the institute along with a partial fee rollback.

Student groups have asked the institute administration to do away with the ‘non-messing’ fee while reducing the current mess fee as well. “I have been to other IITs, and IIT-B is the only one that charges ‘non-messing’ fees to the students. Other IITs have innovative options like coupons, but no one charges their students for opting out of service,” said an IIT-B student.

Despite HT’s repeated attempts, officials from IIT-Bombay were unavailable for comment.