Jamia forms panel to probe video of chameleon in hostel food

The university said on Monday, September 14, that it was also seeking assistance from government investigating agencies to examine the footage and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to examine CCTV footage allegedly showing a chameleon in a student’s bowl of pulses at a hostel mess, amid an ongoing row over food quality and hygiene at the university.

The university said on Monday, September 14, that it was also seeking assistance from government investigating agencies to examine the footage and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The committee will also ascertain whether the incident was part of any deliberate attempt to disrupt the functioning of the hostel messes or bring disrepute to the university.

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It appealed to students to refrain from circulating unverified material and said genuine concerns relating to food quality, hygiene or hostel facilities would be addressed on priority.

Administration calls for action against individuals involved

According to the university, the CCTV footage appears to show a hostel resident taking his bowl of pulses under a mess table, following which a group of students created a commotion alleging that a chameleon had been found in the bowl.

“The JMI administration has directed that appropriate action shall be taken against individuals involved in this incident, in compliance with applicable rules, in the event that any deliberate wrongdoing, fabrication, misinformation or other misconduct is established,” the university said.

The committee has been tasked with examining the complete footage, the circumstances leading to the incident and the actions and roles of those involved, the university said.

Girls’ hostel residents protesting over food

The development comes amid a protest by students of Jamia’s Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel over the quality of food served in the mess.

The protest began after students alleged that insects and foreign objects had been found in food served at the hostel. They demanded the cancellation of the existing mess vendor’s contract, appointment of female staff in the mess and action against hostel authorities.

The students had also sought an assurance that those participating in the protest would not face disciplinary action.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) had alleged that the university failed to implement assurances given to students and accused an assistant proctor of assaulting protestors.

JMI denies assistant proctor assaulted protestors

The university had denied the allegation and said some protestors broke two gates of the girls’ hostel and manhandled members of the proctorial team.

The JMI said its hostel messes had been serving students for several decades and that food quality and hygiene were routinely monitored by hostel authorities, including provosts, wardens and caretakers, as well as mess committees comprising hostel residents.

The university also said senior officials, including the vice-chancellor and registrar, occasionally have meals at the boys’ and girls’ hostel messes to monitor the quality of food being served.

As part of measures to strengthen monitoring, the university has decided to install additional CCTV cameras in all hostel messes and their kitchens.

The surveillance system will facilitate round-the-clock monitoring of food preparation, catering and other activities in the mess and kitchen areas, it said.

‘Attempt to disturb functioning through unsubstantiated allegations’

The administration also expressed concern over what it described as attempts to disturb the functioning of its hostels and the academic environment through “unsubstantiated allegations”, misinformation and circulation of social media videos and reels, as it underlined that genuine concerns regarding food quality would be addressed.

The university said it remained committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for students while ensuring food quality and hygiene standards in its hostels and messes.