In a recent incident, students at Hindu College spotted a dead lizard in the food ordered from the college canteen, causing several to question the quality and standards of hygiene within the canteen space.
In a bizarre turn of events in the past few days, a group of students at Hindu College spotted a dead lizard in a plate of fried rice ordered from the college canteen by a lab assistant. The incident occurred on September 26, Tuesday, and students report that a similar incident occurred nearly six months ago when a dead cockroach was found in the fried rice again.
A few students from second-year BSc. Hons Physics were present at the scene when the dead creature was spotted in the lab assistant’s food. In conversation with the Hindustan Times, one of these students shared that:
“This is not an isolated incident since barely months ago I found a cockroach in my food bought from the old canteen. We were told this carelessness will not repeat, and now this…. That’s why I’ve decided to speak up now.”
While memes have been making rounds related to “Lizard got entry into Hindu College, yet students can’t”, several students are taking up this matter seriously to the college committee. Students say that last year a verbal complaint was filed by the student body to the college committee regarding the degrading hygiene standards of the college canteen, and there is a probability of filing a written complaint this time demanding a proper explanation about the incident.
Abhay Pratap Singh, a final-year student of BA Programme at Hindu College and the student-in-charge of the canteen until last year, mentions to Hindustan Times that:
“This is the first incident of its kind in the college that has been reported to me. Due to the long weekend and the DUTA elections, we were unable to meet the students in college. But we will be meeting with the canteen committee soon to raise the issue about hygiene… The new canteen committee is yet to be formed, and at my end, we have been keeping a check on the food quality and hygiene standards and raised concerns whenever required in the past.”
The Vice-Principal of the college, Reena Jain, assures that the college administration has taken serious note of it and taken immediate action. The food contractor of the college canteen was summoned immediately, and in the distribution chain of eatables, the person accountable has been allegedly removed. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, she concludes by saying that:
“It will not be out of place to mention that our canteen has been very recently revamped, and we take all measures to keep it at the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation.”
Read the words of our Editor-in-Chief for one last time, before she graduates, as she complains about her stolen sixth semester.
I remember last year, around this time, I was preparing for the farewell ceremony for my seniors at DU Beat- my phone would blow up with some 250 random messages on WhatsApp, endless calls discussing the venue, theme, gifts, and what not. At that time, I didn’t actually understand what the final semester meant to my seniors because I was too engrossed thinking about how life and work would be without them being around. But I also had the settling feeling that I would know when time comes.
Cut to 2020, the last semester of my college life as an undergraduate student, sitting at home, writing this article, and thinking about where my last semester went. I think of the stuff I would have been doing with my college friends and my team at this wonderful organisation.
However, I have always believed ‘expect the unexpected’ and I think that this is the only thing that is keeping me sane in such uncertain times. As kids, most of us might have experienced an unsettling feeling when somebody would snatch out a lollipop from our mouth. This is exactly what happened to our final semester.
Having said this, I would not talk only about the sad situation we are in. As a graduating student, a host of memories flash in front of me right now- the day I got admitted to the University of Delhi(DU), the day I met my college best friend, and the day I joined this organisation.
The three years of my college life have been the most challenging, yet the best years of my life. From being a student coming out of the protected cocoon of school life to graduating college with confidence and an identity, this is what these three years have made me. As college students, we are stuck with assignments, internals, submissions, deadlines, placements, societies, and endless preoccupations.
The nationwide lockdown gave me enough time to introspect and surprisingly, all that mattered to me during this difficult time were the people. I realised that my college life was not only defined by a degree or my friends, but also the security guard of my college who would wish ‘Good morning bacchon’ every morning, the canteen staff who would talk about their families, and the housekeeping staff of the college who would smile and wish me luck before every exam.
I wish I could get to relive all this one last time because I didn’t know that the chai I had on 6th March in my college canteen was the last cup I would have with my college friends while Ravi bhaiya (college canteen staff) talked about his Holi plans. You know something impacts you a great deal when you are unable to write about it without being cheesy and clichéd. It’s a faux-pas I’m willing to indulge in for the sake of honesty.
As much as I have talked about the final year students, I would also like to talk about the juniors. They are also the ones who hope to give their seniors the most memorable days of their college life. The end semester is also a reminder that they have become older, and are now themselves seniors. It’s a nostalgic time for the third-year students but what we often forget is how overwhelming it is for the juniors as well.
Dear Delhi University, the batch of 2020 will miss their last fest season, internals, college parties, night stays, bunks, submissions, and the last lectures and yes, they will miss you too- a place which gave them friendships, lessons, and lots of memories.
Being an out-station student isn’t easy, especially when it comes to compromising on food. Let us look at the role the college canteen plays in a student’s life.
Good food is probably on the top in the wish-list of all university students. However, most of the students don’t have access to the heart warming home-cooked meals. After a long and exhausting day of sleeping during lectures and wrangling in society meetings, we all long for comforting meals. But, where does one find them?
After discussing about this issue with lots of students at a personal level, I found out that most students resort to the college canteen for their meals. A very small proportion actually carried lunchboxes. Even the hostellers and PG-dwellers prefer the canteen over their promised, paid meals.
“Being a PG student, the lunch that I get is usually iced coffee or bread butter everyday. Although I don’t prefer eating food from canteen daily but I have to rely on it. If I were a Delhi student, I would never consider food from canteen. Also being a PG student, I am broke more than half of the time so it’s real struggle deciding what to do about lunch. So although I don’t love canteen food, but it has become my lunch everyday,” says Avni Dhawan, student of Kamla Nehru College.
Deewanshi Vats, a resident of the Under Graduate Hostel For Girls (UGHG) says, “Though we have a 4 meal package in a day, the quality of food is pathetic. You literally have to search for dal in dal which is just nothing but water! We don’t get nutrient rich food like sprouts and dry lentils at all; also no curd! Salad (only cucumber) provided is usually stale. Quality of rice and other vegetables is really low.”
With the poor quality of meals provided, most students have no choice left but to fall back on the canteen food. This affects them both financially and health-wise. Spending good proportions of monthly pocket-money on unhealthy, and often not very tasty food is not the ideal preference of any student. This is where students cherish home-cooked meals packed in lunch boxes the most.
“One thing you miss more than home is homemade food! It’s quite understandable that you cannot get the same ‘ghar ke khana ka taste’ when you move to a different city; and for a while will enjoy eating fancy food and junk, but there is this saturation point where you will miss basic daal and roti and then no other food will be able to satisfy your tummy!” commented an out-station student of Daulat Ram College.
It truly becomes a sorry state of affairs for the outstation students when it comes to the matters of food. But there is one ray of hope for all the outstation students. With the end of the semester around the corner, one can comfort themselves with the loving thought of returning back to home after the exams are over and enjoy the warmth of those homely meals to their hearts’ fullest content. It almost seems like the delayed gratification, worth all the while.
The relationship between college help and students is sacred and honest. Here’s a look at this unprecedented relationship from the eyes of a to-be second-year.
We enter college and the first thing we seek is our Canteen, a space where we can do and say what we want to without any inhibitions or judgemental prying eyes. For three years that corner of our college becomes a second-home. Around last week I overheard a conversation in the canteen where our ‘Maggi vale bhaiya’ told a third-year student “Ab toh aap jaane hi vaali hai”.
These words are not uncommon in this emotionally charged part of the year. Professors, juniors, family and friends keep reminding how the college life is coming to an end. The canteen staff is an essential addition to this bandwagon. They see the students grow in a personal space so, this relationship become way more than just a “chai aur do samosa” conversation. Bhavya, a third year B.A (Honours) Political Science student from Daulat Ram College shared her stories with the Canteen Wale Bhaiya with us- “My Canteen vale bhaiya is also from Bengal, so we used to often converse in Bangla. I always used to buy junk food from the canteen, be it spring roll, maggi or coke. Once, when I bought a poha, he asked “sab bhalo?” (all good?). When I asked why he felt I wasn’t well, he said it was because I was buying healthy food for once. Our relationship had become so comfortable that he could take a dig at my unhealthy eating habits and make fun of it”.
The impermanent cycle of college life becomes apparent while talking to the helps. “Har saal naye bache aate hai aur purane chale jaate hain, aisa kitne saalo se dekh rahein hain hum toh” (Every year, new kids come and the old ones leave, we have experienced this for many years now.) For the students these people become exquisitely important and essential for growth and development. Even now, when I go to my Nescafe vale bhaiya, he knows that I will end up buying one sandwich and cold coffee.
Just like Bhavya added in her comment- “The relationships you make with the staff are really important because unlike friends they are not expected constants in your life, they manage to make you smile one way or the other and you should be really sweet to them.”
So, years from now sitting with your families and telling your kids about your college life I am certain that your respective canteen vale bhaiyas will come up in one story or the other and bring a wide nostalgic smile to your face.
Looking beyond the plethora of cafes and restaurants which are tucked away in the sprawling streets of on-campus and off-campus colleges, peruse through the price-friendly places to visit for your own happy meal!
Of all the places that make the University of Delhi illuminating with energy and fascination, some of the most special ones are the comfort paradises of college canteens. These food havens end up becoming some of our favourite places to visit around campus. Explore our list of where to go when your stomach hurls for a delightful meal, without burning some appetising holes in your pocket!
Anna’s Canteen
This homely little nook located in PG Men’s hostel serves the best dosas in North Campus. This canteen is run by a man fondly called Anna, and you can get the best South Indian food, Lemon rice and fruit beer in this magical place. Bonus points for all the cats roaming around that you also get to pet!
Pandit Jee ki canteen/ Gwyer Hall Canteen
This place has been around for a long time. Legend has it that journalist Vinod Dua and politician Arun Jaitley frequented this place as students. This place is as known for its legacy as much as it is known for its sweet samosas and scrumptious Maggi.
Delhi School of Economics Canteen
D-school is not only home to its amazing canteen, but also to the legendary JP Tea stall. The mutton dosas and cutlets served in the canteen do not have a match. JP tea stall also offers amazing iced-tea, masala cokes, and chai at ridiculously low prices; making it one of the most popular places in north campus.
Delhi University Teachers’ Association Canteen
A palatable gem tucked away near the gate number 4 of the Conference Center, University Enclave is DUTA’s sprawling canteen. The food joint is said to offer a delicious variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner at extremely reasonable prices. The Nescafé cafe is a visitor’s favourite in this bustling canteen in North Campus!
Mansarovar Hostel Canteen
For the habitants of North Campus, the entrance through Vishwavidyalaya metro station leads the way to the famous Mansoravar Hostel, and its bustling canteen. The place also has a photocopy shop within the premises; thus, students can be found sipping on a bottle of Coke or munching on snacks while their academic needs are met. Go and visit to try their delicious fried rice and chole bha?ure to warm your mouth!
NSD Canteen
The wonderland for theatre enthusiasts is also the abode for some delectable food. The canteen also boasts of a time when Shah Rukh Khan’s father ran the place with zest! The centre also takes care of three campus cats; feeding them and sheltering them. Visit the cozy canteen to delight on affordable samosas, paranthas, and other savoury pleasures!
VKRV Rao Hostel Canteen
The famous hostel canteen is a favourable place to satiate all hunger pangs, with its lip-smacking stuffed paranthas, Maggi, and steaming hot chai. The bustling food joint keeps its lights open till 1 in the night; allowing a plethora of hostellers and nearby residents to crash in for food at those wee hours for a satisfying meal!
Someone has rightly said, “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food!” and being a DU student which epitomises the availability of economical lip smacking food, we couldn’t agree more with the statement! Take a look at some of the canteens across DU and their signature dishes loved by the students.
1. Maitreyi College
Fried Rice and Manchurian (Maitreyi)
Maitreyi College has a canteen which provides a great range of lip smacking dishes and nutritious drinks that wouldn’t make you feel the need to step outside to fulfill your appetite. In summers, a chilled glass of freshly squeezed mosambi juice (Rs.20) with a little chaat masala is exactly the kind of refreshment every student needs. A plate of wholesome Rajma Rice (Rs. 40), which finishes within only two hours of its complete preparation has a perfectly balanced, rich sweet and spicy flavor and one that is bound to make you nostalgic about your ghar ka khaana anytime. The second most sought after dish would be our Vegetable Manchurian and Fried Rice (Rs.28). This heavenly combination of its tangy and juicy gravy with soft sticky rice can be proudly chosen over any Chinese restaurant’s dish. If you try the Honey Chilli Potatoes, they will not only leave you thirsty because of the fiery heat from all its spices but also wanting for another plate because of its sweet flavorful veggies and amazing relish.
Rajma Rice (Maitreyi)
-Shagun Marwah, 3rd Year student, Maitreyi College
2. Kamala Nehru College
KNC Canteen
Having a regimented timetable with almost no breaks and early morning classes, the little ‘dabba’ that my mom packs in the morning gets finished within the first hour of college. However, KNC’s canteen becomes the ultimate saviour for mid-class hunger pangs. A plate full of Pav Bhaji (Rs. 30), Macroni (Rs. 20) and a cup of Cold Coffee (Rs. 25) is the most filling meal that the canteen offers. The Rajma Chawal are to die for too!
-Riya Chhibber, 3rd year student, Kamala Nehru College
3. Ramjas College
Chilli Potato (Ramjas)
Ramjas canteen recently changed its catering staff and a few new items like chilli potato (Rs. 50), potato manchurian (Rs. 50), egg and bread combos( Rs. 30 for 2 eggs) and fried rice ( Rs. 40) were added to the menu. Chole Bature (Rs. 30) is a hot seller and is claimed to be the best item. Apart from that juices (Rs. 20), tea/coffee (Rs. 10) and bottled drinks like coke maaza and sodas are also available at MRP. The best things about the canteen are that we can eat in the open and the new amphitheatre being constructed beside it.
-Arindam Goswami, Final Year student, Ramjas College
4. Hindu College
Shahi Paneer (Hindu College)
Facing an avid competition from various eateries in Kamla Nagar and Hudson Lane, the Hindu College Canteen still outshines others. Catering to the college students seeding all around North Campus, here you can munch delicious food at reasonable prices, leaving you not only with a filled in belly but also with satisfied taste buds. The menu lists various delicacies from North Indian, South Indian and Chinese cuisines along with a few anytime snacks. Chhole Bhature, Dosa, Shahi Paneer served with Butter Naan and Pav Bhaji must be tried. So do grab a bite here next time you’re around the campus. Shaahi Paneer with Butter naan ( Rs. 45) and Dosa (Rs. 25) are a delight to the taste buds.
-Hardik Kakar, Hindu College
5. Sri Venkateswara College
Dosa (Sri Venkateswara College)
Sri venkateswara college canteen reminds one of Amma’s canteen in south. With the indistinguishable delicious sambhar and inexpensive south indian dishes it provides a complete package for foodies. ‘Mysore masala dosa’ with the special south indian spicy touch is able to make a mark on the student’s tongue. Its eccentric location and chilled out atmosphere makes it the most popular hangout place for students. The graffiti walls beside the seating arrangements ups the ambience level. Despite being a new canteen students have found their love and reasons to stay at college than preferring Satya lounges.
-Gerush Bahal and Lakshya, DU Students
6. Jesus and Mary College
JMC Canteen
The canteen of Jesus and Mary College is one of the most popular ones of the varsity. With a diverse food menu, consisting of South Indian, North Indian, Italian and Chinese dishes among others, the level of hygiene is also decent. Though the taste of various food items seems average, yet few dishes do attract students of the neighboring colleges to the place. With the price being slightly higher than most of the other colleges, Dishes like Bhel Puri, Sev Puri and Chowmein/Fried Rice captures the hearts (and obviously, the stomach!) of all the JMCites. The favourite dishes – Bhel Puri and Fried Rice, cost 40 rs each.
Fried Rice (JMC)
-Lovleen Kaur, Jesus and Mary College
7. Miranda House
Dosa (Miranda House)
At Miranda House, a satisfactory quality of food is maintained across the menu. From the honey chilli potato (Rs 40) to the chicken manchurian (Rs 50) and masala dosa (Rs 30),the canteen churns out quality food at affordable prices. The fresh juice stand is also a favourite amongst students. To the dismay of many students however, the ‘momo-bhaiya’ has quit his job this year, and chicken momo is no longer on the menu. Come back Bhaiya !
The level of hygiene maintained at the Miranda House canteen sets it apart from other colleges. A committee of faculty members carries out regular inspections to ensure that cleanliness standards are maintained.
