Eating habits of iit delhi

course subject:
A. PSS Archive and Base Knowledge
A.1 Archive of PSSCases in India

open learning resource:
[ Food Eating Habits : IIT Delhi]
The Speical Case of Hostel Eating System

contributors:
Prof. Amrit Srinivasan and Radhika Ralhan
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi / HUSS / INDIA

IIT Delhi/ HUSS/ INDIA

Acknowledgements
I sincerely thank Prof Amrit Srinivasan (Head of Dept.
HUSS, IIT Delhi and PI of LeNS IIT Delhi, India) for conceiving
the idea to explore the eating habits amongst the IIT
Hostels. This learning resource would have been
impossible without her help and valuable inputs.

A special mention to the following Mess Secretaries of the IIT,
Delhi Hostels Mughda Saxena (Himadri), Sarla Meena
(Kailash and present Secretary of BHM), Yudhveer Thakkar
(Vindhaychal) Mohit Khatri (Zanskar) for providing
significant information about the hostels. Also thanks to
Khirod Chandra Mohrana (PhD scholar, Dept. HUSS) and
Mr. Neeraj ( Proprietor Holistic Food Centre) to provide their
help and support in building the resource material.


Learning contents:
I. Acknowledgement
II. IIT Delhi Campus
III. Eating Zones of IIT’ians
 Eating Inside & Outside the Campus
III. The Hostel Eating System
 IIT Hostels : An overview
 Unique Case of Hostel Mess
 Significance of Hostel Mess
 Mess Management
 Mess Eating System : Meals, Payment Mechanism
 Facilities in the Mess
 Sources of Food Supply
IV. Culture of Food Amongst Students.
 Regional diversity in eating
 Religious diversity in eating
 Gender diversity in eating
V. Areas of Concern
 Possible PPS Design Initiatives
VI. References


IIT Delhi Campus
• The IIT Campus is spread across 320 acres.
• Longitudinal Structured, divided into Four Functional zones :
a. Residential zone for students b. Residential Zone for Faculty and Staff
c. Academic zone d. Recreational zone
• IIT is a Residential campus and it is mandatory for a student to reside in a hostel.
• Residential area for Faculty and Staff includes a total of 1600 units of which 1000
are for the administrative staff and 600 are for the faculty.
• IIT has a mix blend of students coming from diverse regions, communities and
religions of India. They also belong to different set of age groups, such as
Undergraduate students who straightway after school enter the IIT system at an
average age of 17 - 18 years along with comparatively older students including
post graduates and PHD students.
• As a result the institute has to provide basic infrastructure to meet the necessities
of the residents of the campus such as hospitals, banks, groceries stores etc.
• Since students are away from home and staying in hostels it becomes the sole
responsibility for the Institute to cater to their daily requirements of food
• Food thus becomes one of the key and basic amenity for all campus residents..


Eating Zones of IIT
 Eating Inside the Campus
 Eating Outside the Campus


Eating Zones of IIT'ians
Inside Campus

can even order within the campus.
Food Court, open dining space, preferred in evening, one
UTH Café FX
Holistic Centre and Sip and Bite
Preferred mainly by the Boys and staff

Coffee and Tea outlets
Lipton and Nescafe for quick bites


Inside Campus
Holistic Food Centre
• Holistic food Center is located within the IIT Campus and is a prominent place for
both faculty and students for eating and drinking
• According to Proprietor Mr. Neeraj whom I interviewed, special care is taken to
serve hot, fresh and organic food since most of the consumers are students,
serving nutritional food along with good taste is the main priority of the centre
• The Fruit Juices are served from fresh seasonal fruits and are procured from
nearby fresh fruit markets. They are highly enjoyed by the campus residents.
• Indian Bread like Roti, Paranthas is prepared from fresh and organic wheat flour.
Beans, soya, spinach and gram are mixed with the wheat to increase its nutritional
value and taste.
• Only vegetarian food is served and the centre is open till late night around 11:00
p.m.
• Lunch is the most sought out meal, and even south Indian food is also served at
the centre. The South Indian snack items are cherished by all e.g. idli, vadas and
sambhar (south Indian snack items).
• The entire working of this centre is explained in a chart in the next slide.
• The waste like fruit peels and other kitchen waste are collected by the waste
pickers or by waste collecting agencies.


Some Eating Zones for IIT’ians
Outside Campus

Parathanwalla, Dhabas: SDA Market
Small eat out joint serving stuffed low cost paranthas, Opposite main IIT Gate, popular market place witth
idnian fleat bread stuffed with potatoes, egss, vegeatables cafeterias, fast food joints like Subway etc.
etc

Maggi Outlet
Near boy’s hostel gate serve famous “maggi” 2 min. Ready to eat
noodles.


The Hostel Eating System

 IIT Hostels : An overview

 Hostel Eating System : Unique Case of Hostel Mess


IIT Hostels : An overview

• There are 11 hostels, named after famous Indian
Mountain Ranges.
• 9 Boys Hostels: Kumaon, Vindhyanchal, Shivalik,
Jwalamukhi, Aravali, Karakoram, Zanskar, Satpura
and Nilgiri.
• 2 Girls Hostels: Himadri and Kailash.
• Nalanda residence: for Married students living with their
spouses and children.
• Capacity varies from 400 to 180 students (each hostel).
• For the Purpose of this Learning Resource, Case Study
of 4 Hostels of IIT Delhi has been examined.
• 2 Girls Hostels : Himadri and Kailash and 2 Boys hostels
: Vindhaychal and Zanskar


IIT Hostels

• Hostels provide a comparative view in the following areas
a. Diverse eating habits amongst girls & boys, graduates &
post graduates, married & unmarried students.
b. Food service, consumption and ordering in the hostels
varies in terms of
i. Hostel Size and Capacity : Vindhaychal and
Himadri are relatively smaller hostels with a
capacity of 180 students whereas Kailash and
Zanskar are large hostels with overall 500
students
ii. Organizational set up : Private ownership v/s
Institutional ownership . Himadri is the only hostel
having a private contractor, in the following slides
differences in the consumption and eating
procedures practiced within Himadri as compared to
the other hostels are explained in different contexts.


The Unique Case of the Hostel Mess

• The word “mess” originates form Old
French word “mess” meaning a
portion of food, originally "a course of
a meal put on the table”.
• The concept of Mess denotes a place
where group of people eat together.
• Each IIT hostel is provided with a Mess
where students eat their meals.
• The Hostel Mess are owned by the IIT
institute.
• One of the Girl’s Hostel Mess is
Subcontracted to a private contractor.


Significance of Hostel Mess
• Hostel becomes the Home for students for a duration of four to five years.
• As a result, Consumption of food by the students largely takes place inside the mess of
the hostels.

• Food becomes as an essential part of their being, mess is perceived as a facility but
becomes a core necessity.

• The Mess system of eating compiels the students to sit together with other students over
meals. Mess is a Zone of Socialization and Rejuvenation for the students along with their
peers after their hectic study and work schedule.

Mess Management
• The Hostel and Mess Management is a Democratic Set up, as student representatives
hold important positions and take part in active decision making regarding the hostels.

• The very existence of a Mess Secretary clearly shows how food and eating is a core &
sensitive issue amongst hostel residents.

• A special Hostel Website is dedicated as an online forum to discuss various issues of the
hostel, Mess Food is one of the central amongst all others.


Hostel Hostel Management
President
(Dean of
Students)
Mess Committee

Associate Asst. Hostel
Dean Registrar Warden
(Dean of (Student (Faculty
Students) Affairs) Member)

Mess Hostel Mess
Secretary Residents Supervisor

Team of
Mess in charge
workers


Mess Eating System
The Meals

• Extensive system of Serving Food, hardly
any large gaps between the meal timings.

• Food is Served at Breakfast, Afternoon,
Dinner. Food is served both in a buffet
style and at the table.

• Extra Messing is a Snack time for students
served along with evening tea and coffee
which is provided by the mess between 4:30 –
5:00.

• Food items like biscuits, burgers, sandwiches,
chips are served during this time but have to
be purchased by the students.

.

Mess Eating System
• Night Messing is during exam times food
such as paranthas, omelet bread with
scrambled eggs are served between 10 – 12
:30..

• Lunch is the most preferred meal for the
students especially for the undergraduates
and Breakfast for the Postgraduates

• Bread and Jam is standard for breakfast in all
the hostels and Rice is standard in Lunch and
Dinner for all days.

• Simple Meals are also prepared by the mess
on request if a student falls ill or otherwise.


Mess Meal Timings
Meal Type Weekday Timing Weekend Timing

BREAKFAST
07:30 a.m – 09:00 a.m 08: 00 a.m – 09:30 a.m
(inclusive of morning tea)

LUNCH 12:00 a.m – 01:45 p.m 12:00 p.m – 01:30 p.m

EVENING TEA
04:30 p.m – 05:30 p.m 04:00p.m – 05:00 p.m
(Extra Messing)

DINNER 07:00 p.m – 08:30 p.m 07:00 p.m – 08:30 p.m

NIGHT MESS 10 :00 p.m – 12:30 p.m 10:00 p.m – 12 :30 p.m
(Exam time) 11:00 p.m - 12:00 p.m 11:00 p.m - 12:00 p.m

* Winters timings differs by one hour


Mess Eating System
 Payment Mechanism

 A Mess fee is deducted from the Students account for every semester.

 It is paid through a form available from Catering/Mess Supervisor of the hostel,
which transfers the money from the students' account in State Bank of India, IIT
Delhi branch to the hostel's mess account

 The mess fee varies from hostel to hostel.

 Food Coupon are also utilized by the students at the time of Extra Messing (the
Evening Tea)

 Food Coupon is a small booklet of Rs 250 (per semester) includes coupons
ranging from Rs1, Rs 2 and Rs 5.

 In the Himadri Hostel which is Subcontracted apart from the Mess fee a student
has to pay for non vegetarian food meals.

 Outsiders can also eat in the mess by paying cash per meal costs around Rs
50 ( Less than One Euro)


A Typical Mess Thali
This is a Vegetarian Thali served at Lunch
Average meal costs to 39 to 50 Rs (Per day) less than a Euro


Facilities in the Mess
• The Hostel Mess is situated inside the
hostel building.
• Food Preparation, Storage and Eating are
not dispersed around the campus they are
centrally situated in one building but with
different sections.
• There is a Cold Room, Storage Room and
the Mess Kitchen House Secretary Mohit Khatir showing
Cold Room for perishable items and
• Demands of facilities, like new equipments dairy products
are put forward by the Mess Secretary after
consulting with the Mess supervisor for e.g.
in girls hostel the need for a hand blender
was realized by the mess secretary
• Certain equipments are provided by
centralized administration and the “on
demand equipments” have to be approved
by the DDF funding body
• Chef along with 14 workers doing morning.
evening shift work in the mess Storage room for dry items
likes wheat, rice, spices etc


Roti/Indian Bread Maker in the Mess Kitchen


Mess Equipments

Cutlery is washed and reused and is served at the counter

Tandoor : oven used Equipment making rice paste,
for baking & cooking pulses used in South Indian Cooking Equipments South Indian
meals like dosa (rice pan food and North Indian food
cakes), vadas. respectively.


Sources of Food Supply
1. HOSTEL RESIDENTS
• Food Supplying Agencies varies for every hostel
• The STFC (Supply Finalization Cell of IIT Admin.) decides the agencies that will be
responsible for supplying the food items to the hostels.
• The Mess Secretary of every Hostel provides the List of Specific food items required
by the hostel residents at the Mess Committee meeting.
• The Mess Supervisor is responsible for ordering of food to the agencies depending
on the stock and the consumption for e.g In Kailash Hostel the ordering is done 3
times a Week by the Mess Supervisor.
• The bill brought by the agency needs a sign of any Hostel Resident to confirm
correct price & quantity and goes to the Mess Secretary for cross checking in case
of errors are committed by the students
• Some Agencies Supplying Food to the Hostels.:
NAFED National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India -
Eggs Supply and Poultry
Durga Sweets – deserts, ice creams.
Kendriya Bhandar- Dry items like wheat, rice, pluses, spices etc.
Private Contractor – his own agency providing deserts (for Girls Hostel)


Sources of Food Supply …
2. CAMPUS RESIDENTS
• Sabziwallas or Vegetable vendors come inside
the campus to sell vegetables.
• Mother Dairy, Kendriya Bhandar are
Government Agencies that exists inside the
campus for dairy products and dry food item
purchasing.
• Local shops and Groceries inside IIT Campus
also exists and are meant for immediate food
supply.
• However for major food supply the residents
have to depend on outside markets that are
located outside the campus.
• This is mainly done as the markets operating
within the campus usually have less variety,
sometimes there exists a shortage of food
items, certain specific food items have to be
brought from outside the campus.


Culture of Food amongst Students
1. Regional Diversity
• IIT is a fascinating replica of a ‘Mini India’
• Students belonging to different communities and regions are representations of
different cuisine cultures of India.
• The Mess Menu (see next slide) is prepared by the Mess Secretary : a student
elected by other fellow resident students through a system of voting.
• This democratic system ensures the Mess Secretary to maintain the regional
diversity in the food served at the mess.
• Therefore in some hostels like the girl’s South Indian meals items are kept
for breakfast, in boys hostels this meal is served for specific days in a week
and so on.
• Rice: a staple food item of South Indians is included in the menu for all days,
especially during Lunch which is the most sought out meal time for the
students.
• Mess Festivals organized by the students of every hostel is one such
occasion where the regional variety of cuisines are showcased.
• Mess Secretary usually invites different caterers or chefs to prepare popular
dishes and meals for one week belonging to different regions of India for the
students


Typical Menu of an IIT Hostel


2. Religious Diversity
• Mess Menu is symbol of showcasing the wide dietary patterns amongst students.
• Despite living away from their homes the Cultural Values attributed towards food are very
strongly imbibed amongst the students
• One of the main food values observed strictly by them is that of Vegetarianism.
• India Vegetarian culture is complex yet it is liked broadly with religious absenteeism and
non violence (ahimsa).
• Ancient Religious texts like the Laws of Manu (V,27-56),, Dhramashartra, Arthshastra
prohibits eating of meat & lay exceptional cases in consumption of meat
(Zimmerman,1999)
• Gradually these religious codes over dietary patterns penetrated into the various
Strata's/Castes of the Hindu Society.
• It was prohibited for the Dominant Castes like Brahmins to eat meat as they were actually
responsible in imparting knowledge to the society through these texts. It was considered
impure to eat meat and then touch these religious texts.
• Religions like Jainism with core beliefs of non violence , no killing & eating of animals
are even today strictly practiced by their followers in large numbers.
• In modern times Mahatma Gandhi propagated Vegetarianism by co linking with Non
violence and spiritual cleansing, as a practitioner he also showed that vegetarianism not
only served oneself morally but also materially/ economically (Gandhi, 1959).
• Fasting and Fruit based diet was also advocated by him, fasting however is generally observed
by many people belonging to various religions (Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and also Muslims) of
India.


• Therefore Vegetarianism in the Mess is dealt methodically
and with great sensitivity.
• Mess Kitchen has Separate Non Vegetarian Counters.
• Specific Days of the week are assigned for inclusion of Non
vegetarian food items, for e.g. Boys Hostel :- Mon – Wed –
Fri, Girls Hostel :- Wed and Sun or only One Day in a week
either for Dinner or Breakfast.
• This is also due to the fact that overall boys consume
more meat than girls. The 2 Specific Days assigned for
Non Veg food items in the Boys hostel have to be
weekdays as in weekends most of them leave for their
homes.
. • Many students do not consume non veg. on Tuesday and
• Thursdays
• For Girl’s Hostel like Himadri (privately subcontracted) a
separate register is maintained to demarcate vegetarian and
non vegetarian students.
•Non vegetarian meals or food items have to be paid
separately which gets deducted from their next semester fees.
•Fasting is observed by many students both Hindus and
Muslims
• Special food items are prepared for students which is
vegetarian, without onions and garlic and accordingly.


Gender Diversity
A. Case of Pantry Kitchen
• Designed exclusively for the Girls hostel..
• Pantry has all the main cooking utensils, including hot plates, gas, oven etc.
• Facility to come and cook their own food on their own in the pantry.
• Existence of Pantry is guided by several factors :
• Cultural Fact: women would use more pantry, as there are married women who will
associate themselves with cooking.
• Social and Economics: food items for pantry are not borne under the Mess Budget a
student has to go and buy his own food items at his own cost. Therefore students whose
economics conditions are good or also who have the knowledge of cooking would go for the
option of pantry. Also unlike the Mess Kitchen, they have to clean the utensils after their
use.
• Operational Factors: mainly used by Postgraduate students due to their flexible time
schedule, one assumption can also be made that older students and married students and
would have more experience in cooking or the necessity of cooking as compared to the
unmarried and younger ones. This is largely observed in the Kailash Girls Hostel.


Gender Diversity
B. Outside Dhaba/ Stalls
• Dhabas are local roadside restaurants operating mostly
24/7
• Boys usually like to consume food here, also linked to
the financial aspects i.e. they have greater economic
independence than girls, most of them even work as part
timers in some organizations during vacations.
• Social Aspect is that boys have higher mobility than girls
during the evening hours.
• Even though IIT has a community lifestyle many parents
of the girls do not approve them to go out in the nights
which is observed mostly by them even during their time
Rendezvous
at the hostel.

C. Cultural Festivals at IIT
• Opportunity for socialization over food and eating.
• Informal Dinners :- during House Days, BHM night
and STIC (student teacher interaction committee)
• Special food rates for these occasions are approved by
the Dean of Students ranging from Rs 80 - Rs 90 per
plate
• Largest Cultural festival like Rendezvous organized at
Cultural Festival the Institutional level have food stalls from outside
campus, many food joints put up their stall in the campus

Gender Diversity

Boys Girls
 Attend the Mess depending upon the  Most of them like to consume meal at
Menu of the Day or specific timings. the Mess.
 Major Consumers of Food.  Prefer to spend less money on food
 More % of Non vegetarians outside.
 No Pantry Kitchen  Comparatively Less number of Non
 Conscious over the Variety of food Veg.
being served at the Mess.  Existence of Pantry : cultural fact
 Discussions are done more over the  Keep a Quality control check of the
changes that should be brought in food served at the mess.
the mess menu.  Special interest over food that is being
 Most of them found the mess food a served and cooked in the mess, some
bit monotonous and boring. of them volunteer to do so.
 Strong applied knowledge of food
For e.g. they blame the Mess cooking and preparation.
Secretary for pulling out such a bad For e.g. One of the girls hostel
menu and demand to make changed their wheat supplier as the
necessary changes quality of wheat was poor


Boys Girls
 Are conscious but most prefer the  Health conscious towards food.
dhaba style of food. For e.g. many of the girls complain on
For e.g. They like going to road side serving fried potatoes, prefer less
dhabas where they can get good potatoes in meals, demand for more
stuffed paranthas. food variety to be incorporated in the
menu.
 Out of campus Ordering is more e.g.  Comparatively less ordering is done
dabba systems from restaurant like from outside. even if it is done only
Little Punjab or dhaba like Trunk between time 7:30 p.m to 9:00 p.m
house/ Lakhan, pizzas from Dominoes
etc.
 Consume more food coupon booklets  One food booklet for the girls extends
for extra messing and night messing for the entire semester.
especially during the exam times


Areas of Concern
Possible PSS Design Initiatives:
1. Waste Management:
• Unlike in the past, at present there exist no
system of waste management,
• In Boys hostel the kitchen waste is about 20 –
30 % (fig. provided by mess sec.)
• Students have installed a Waste Measuring
machine.
• In girls hostel some student volunteers are kept
to check on the waste.
• Mess Secretary proposed inclusion of some
plastic buckets to collect waste which was not
approved by the authorities.
• Students feel strongly over the issue of the
waste but find it difficult to have a system which
is cost effective and less hazardous for the
authorities.


Areas of Concern for Mess
2. Storage System :-
• Problem of storing personal food is strongly faced by the students.
• The shelves of cupboard are very tiny and small.
• Cupboards do no have Personal Space for students.
• Shelves have no air space therefore difficult to keep perishable food items

3. Dabba System of Ordering
• Boys suggested that a system of ordering food like the Dabbawallas could also
start within the campus
• In order to have homemade food
• Being a residential campus a system of involving the residents into cooking and
supplying food to the students could be evolved.
• Some of them are already practicing this on a small scale.


References

• Gandhi, M.K .The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism. Compile by Ramchandra
Krishna Prabhu. Ahmedabad. Navjivan Publishing House: 1988. c1959 4-34
• Zimmerman Francis. The Jungle and the Aroma of Meats : An ecological theme
in Hindu Medicine. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers, 1999.
• IIT Hostel Map Source : http://<www.iitd.ac.in>
• Mess Menu : Provided by Ms. Mughda Saxena Mess Secretary Himadri Hostel.
• Mess Kitchen Photographs permitted by Mohit Suri House Secretary Zanskar
Hostel.
• Holistic food centre Details taken from Mr. Neeraj (proprietor)


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