LUCKNOW Non-vegetarian food has consistently been a part of the students’ hostel menu at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) here for six years, but its administration is in a dilemma now after UP governor Anandiben Patel questioned the practice of non-vegetarian meals being served twice a week in the hostels and red-flagged campus cleanliness during the institute’s third convocation on Monday.
The ‘veg-only’ suggestion sparked a menu debate in medical institutes in the city with resident doctors at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) arguing that hostel menus should be a matter of student choice and King George Medical University maintaining that its hostel messes have served only vegetarian food for more than two years.
According to institute officials, around 800 students use four mess facilities operated by RMLIMS, including those in the boys’ and girls’ hostels, Dr SC Rai Hostel and the Nursing Building. Menus are decided through a student voting process overseen by an eight-member committee and are reviewed every three months.
The existing menu includes rice, pulses, roti and seasonal vegetables, while chicken curry is served twice a week. Food supplies are provided by vendors selected through a tender process.
RMLIMS director Prof CM Singh said the area around the Dr SC Rai Hostel was cleaned on Tuesday following the governor’s observations about sanitation and maintenance issues during her virtual address at the convocation ceremony.
The institute also sought formal guidance from Jan Bhavan regarding hostel food arrangements after the governor’s questioned the practice of serving non-vegetarian meals.
“Whatever instructions are issued by the governor will be followed by RMLIMS,” Singh said.
During her address, the governor had highlighted unhygienic conditions around hostel premises and directed officials to take immediate corrective action. She also asked senior state government officials to improve administrative and operational arrangements at the institute within 15 days and indicated that progress would be reviewed thereafter.
Drawing a contrast, KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said hostel messes at the university have served only vegetarian food for more than two years.
“The university has a committee to decide hostel menus. Non-vegetarian food has been prohibited in hostel mess facilities for over two years,” he said.
The medical university has more than 20 messes and around 3,000 students have meals in these facilities.
At SGPGIMS, however, resident doctors stressed that dietary preferences should be determined by students themselves, with the institution focusing on food quality and nutrition rather than prescribing menu choices.
Chief medical superintendent Prof Devendra Gupta said there is no uniform policy mandating either vegetarian or non-vegetarian food across hostel messes.
“The quality and nutritional value of food are our primary concerns. Whether a mess serves vegetarian or non-vegetarian food, and how frequently, is decided by the students themselves,” he said.
More than 400 resident doctors live in SGPGIMS hostels, where messes are managed through student participation and menus are finalised by committees comprising resident representatives. Consequently, food offerings vary across hostels according to residents’ preferences.
A senior resident doctor said postgraduate medical students often work under demanding conditions involving emergency duties, patient care, research and academics.
“We are here to study and treat patients, not to have our personal food choices scrutinised. Everyone should be free to choose what they eat. Access to nutritious food is essential for maintaining health and performance,” the resident said.
Institute officials said the decentralised system allows resident representatives to regularly review food quality, menu options and dietary requirements, ensuring that hostel dining services reflect the preferences of those living on campus.
The Resident Doctors’ Association at RMLIMS is yet to issue its formal response on the issue.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider said: “Food is a matter of personal choice and individual liberty. No government has the right to dictate what citizens should or should not eat. Such interference goes against the spirit of the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Instead of policing students’ food habits, the BJP government should focus on the real crisis in UP healthcare system.”
He alleged: “Government hospitals continue to face shortages of doctors, medical staff, medicines and basic infrastructure. Many newly constructed buildings lack adequate facilities and manpower to serve patients effectively.”
“Students and resident doctors are capable of deciding their dietary preferences. The priority should be improving healthcare services, medical education and sanitation, not turning educational institutions into laboratories for BJP’s divisive politics,” he added.
“When the Constitution allows all to eat whatever they want, questioning hostel food appears to be making a mockery of the rights given to people of India. How can someone’s food habits be restricted… why is hostel food an issue,” asked Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthy.
When contacted by HT, a BJP spokesperson refused to comment on the governor’s statement.
