Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:51am on 11 Sep 2025,Thursday India
IIT Kharagpur reversed a controversial dining hall segregation policy after facing strong alumni and faculty backlash. The August 16 directive for BR Ambedkar Hall required separate seating for vegetarian and non-vegetarian students, following complaints from 300 vegetarian residents among 1,300 total. Critics condemned "only veg" table signage as institutional endorsement of segregation, calling it regressive and incompatible with campus values. The Hall Management Centre withdrew the rule September 7, emphasizing food segregation should occur only during preparation and distribution, not seating. Similar controversies occurred at IIT Madras (2018) and IIT Bombay, sparking debates about "untouchability" practices. Alumni noted the irony of imposing segregation in a hall honoring equality champion BR Ambedkar during the institute's platinum jubilee year. (PC: India Today & Times Now)
