Over the past 20 months, more than 50 incidents have been reported where hygiene lapses were found in school and college canteens. Students across institutions have repeatedly alleged that managements are failing to ensure basic food safety standards. These cases are not confined to one region, they span the country, from North to South and East to West.
In Bhopal recently, students at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya alleged that they found what appeared to be a dead lizard in their meal.
The incident, captured on video, showed a canteen worker attempting to dismiss the claim by consuming the object, calling it a piece of capsicum.
The university later formed an inquiry committee.
Days earlier, only last month at AIIMS Nagpur, students reported finding a deep-fried caterpillar, insects on fruit, and foreign objects in cooked food. Multiple complaints pointed to recurring hygiene issues in the hostel mess.
In Greater Noida, a few months back a food safety inspection at Lloyd College’s hostel revealed poor sanitation and non-compliance with standard hygiene practices after students alleged insects in their food. Officials issued notices following the inspection.
These are not standalone cases.
At IIIT Hyderabad, students reported cockroaches and flies in meals.
In Bihar’s Banka district, students at a government engineering college claimed they found pieces resembling a snake in their food. At least 11 students fell ill after consuming the meal and required medical attention.
REPEATED HYGIENE LAPSES EXPOSE GAPS IN ENFORCEMENT
From private colleges to public universities, concerns around food hygiene are surfacing with increasing frequency.
This raises a larger question. At a time when India is working to align its education system with global standards, why are the basics still being overlooked? Why is hygiene being neglected in spaces meant for learning? And more importantly, who is accountable?
India does have a structured food safety framework under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which lays down clear norms for hygiene, storage, and food quality. Yet, the recurrence of such incidents points to a deeper gap, not in regulation, but in its enforcement.
Across campuses, the complaints remain similar: insects, contamination, poor storage, and lack of oversight.
MORE COMPLAINTS ARE BECOMING ROUTINE
What is more concerning is not just the incidents, but their frequency, and the response to them.
At Osmania University in Hyderabad, students staged protests after alleging worms in hostel food. Several students reported falling ill, and complaints suggested that the issue had persisted for months.
In Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University students flagged repeated cases of worms, hair, and foreign objects in food served at the campus canteen. Videos of these incidents circulated widely, triggering outrage but little structural change
.In Bhubaneswar’s BJB College, students said repeated complaints about insects in meals were ignored until protests escalated. Similar protests were seen at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Andhra Pradesh, where students staged a dharna over poor food quality.
Even schools are not exempt.
In a Noida-based school, food safety officials found insects in mid-day meal rice and reported foul smells in other items during inspection.
Across institutions, a pattern is visible, complaints are raised, temporary action is taken, and the issue returns.
SYSTEMIC GAPS IN OVERSIGHT
Food safety experts point to a deeper structural issue.
While FSSAI regulations mandate hygiene audits, licensing, and compliance, enforcement often depends on local authorities. Inspections are either complaint-driven or periodic, leaving long gaps where violations can go unchecked.
In many campuses, food services are outsourced to private vendors. This creates a layered accountability system where responsibility is diffused between institutions and contractors.
In several of the reported cases, action followed public outrage—inspections, fines, or vendor changes. But these responses are reactive, not preventive.
In Bihar’s engineering college, for instance, the administration changed the vendor and asked faculty to eat with students daily after the incident. While such measures may restore temporary confidence, they do not address systemic gaps.
HEALTH RISKS AND SILENT CONSEQUENCES
The immediate impact of such lapses is visible, students falling ill, complaints of nausea, stomach infections, and food poisoning.
But the long-term risks remain underreported.
Repeated exposure to contaminated food can lead to chronic health issues. For students living in hostels, where meals are not optional, the risk becomes constant.
There is also a psychological dimension. Food, which should be a basic assurance, becomes a source of anxiety.
Students begin to question what they are being served, often relying on outside food—adding financial strain and compromising nutrition.
Who is responsible?
Institutions argue that vendors are at fault. Vendors cite operational pressures and scale. Authorities intervene after complaints. In this cycle, accountability often remains unclear.
The larger concern is that food safety in educational spaces is still treated as a secondary issue.
India is investing in global-standard campuses, research infrastructure, and international collaborations. Yet, at the most basic level, food hygiene, gaps persist.
