Mangalore University Students Denied Mess Food Amid Academic Calendar Discrepancies
Mangalore, TOI: MBA, MCA students, and Ph.D. scholars at Mangalore University (MU) are facing food shortages at their hostels due to the mess being closed. The issue arises as these students, who follow a different academic calendar, remain on campus until mid-September, while the mess has been closed since August 1, when exams for other programs concluded.
Students argue that they signed contracts for a 10-month hostel stay and paid the requisite fees, expecting continuous services, including food. They claim that the university’s failure to provide or arrange alternative food options has forced them to either order food online or rely on local eateries, leading to additional expenses.
Student Concerns: A second-year MBA student highlighted that MCA and MBA students, admitted through PGCET, pay the same fees as other students but are now left without mess facilities. They were not informed about the mess closure in advance.
PL Dharma, MU Vice-Chancellor, stated that one of the cooks is responsible for providing food to the women’s hostel. However, students dispute this, claiming that no food has been served in any of the hostels since the mess closure. They had suggested using one hostel’s kitchen to prepare food for all, but the university did not accept this proposal.
Student Impact: Students, facing the added stress of upcoming exams and final projects, express frustration over the lack of support from the university. The mess is scheduled to reopen with the new academic year, tentatively on September 9.
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