Hyderabad: Students at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Sultanpur discovered a live rat swimming in a large vessel of chutney in the university's hostel canteen, leading to an uproar among the student body and netizens.
According to reports, the hostel staff had prepared idli for breakfast along with the chutney on Monday morning. The disturbing discovery was made by students who immediately filmed the rat in the chutney and shared the footage on social media. The videos quickly went viral, causing outrage and concern over the food safety standards at the university.
In response to the incident, student groups, including activists from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi (BRSV), began organising protests to demand better hygiene and food safety measures in the hostel kitchens. Despite attempts by the hostel management to pacify the students, the protests continued.
Principal Narasimha reacted to the viral video and said that the rat did not fall into the chutney which was prepared for consumption, but "fell into the vessel which was kept for cleaning."
The campus was immediately inspected by the District Additional Collector Madhuri RD and Revenue Divisional Officer R. Pandu. During their visit, officials spoke to the students, who complained of rats, cockroaches, and lizards in their meals.
Angered by the unhygienic kitchen conditions, Madhuri reprimanded the principal and the mess contractor for their negligence. Consequently, the principal was ordered to replace the mess contractor immediately.
A recent inspection by Telangana's Food Safety Department uncovered numerous violations at the JNTU Sultanpur campus. The inspection, held on June 29, revealed unhygienic conditions, including fungal-infected vegetables, rodents, and excessive rat excreta in the storeroom. The kitchen, wash, and dining areas were also found to be unsanitary, and food handlers were observed without proper hygiene gear such as head caps and aprons. The RO water plant was found to be non-functional.
This is not the first time that JNTU Sultanpur has faced criticism for its food safety standards. Previous protests by students calling for proper and hygienic food have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. The latest incident has only intensified their demands for immediate action and accountability from the university administration.
A similar case of negligence has come to light at TG Model School at Ramayampet in Medak district, where 35 students fell ill after consuming breakfast that reportedly contained a lizard. The affected students, who experienced vomiting and diarrhoea, were taken to the Area Hospital in Ramayampet for treatment.
