The Mess At JIPMER

JIPMER was once rated as the third best medical college in India. The reason most beleive that it keeps losing the pole position to AIIMS is becuase of the lack of services and facilities for the students. If the ranking system considered only the teaching faculty then there is high chance that JIPMER would be unbeatable in that race.

Take the Student's Mess for example. Ten years ago the Mess basic was just Rs 750 per month. It was run by two students who came forward each month. The food was not the best but good enough. Now the Mess Basic is over Rs 1000, it is run by private contractors and the food is unpalatable.

I remember one time the Dean and Director (and their usual entourage) got some itch and visited the Mess. Some of the students were in line waiting for food to be served. Suddenly they walk out from the cooking area and one of them said to the students in line "Do you know how filthy it is back there?"

What do you think? Of course we know how filthy it is. And we know more about the unhygenic practices of the cooks than you care to know about. But it is your responsibility to provide us with good clean food. What do you expect the students to do; spend their free time scrubbing the kitchen floor?

Over the past few years the Mess Basic has been regualy going up and the food quality going down. More and more students are being forced to get food from outside. Not only is this more expensive but it takes a lot more time. Time which can be spent doing what they are there to do; studying.

With this and other inconveniences abound in the Hostel, the warden can be seen fretting about the grass on the hostel lawn or the flower beds in front of his office.