IT Roorkee faced a major controversy after students from Radha Krishna Bhawan (a hostel) protested on Thursday, claiming rats were found in the mess kitchen area. The students alleged that the mess was unhygienic, with rodents present in food utensils and kitchen supplies. The situation escalated after videos taken by the students circulated on social media, prompting the institution to address the allegations.

The incident reportedly occurred when around 400 hostel students gathered in the mess to protest what they described as contaminated and unhygienic food. According to the students, some of them saw rats jumping into a pan where vegetables were being cooked, and another rat was found swimming in a pressure cooker meant for rice. The discovery caused outrage, leading to the immediate boycott of lunch.

Footage of the rats in the mess kitchen spread rapidly on social media, creating chaos within the IIT Roorkee administration. In response, the institution quickly set up a committee to investigate the matter and control the fallout. On the following day, when the incident made headlines in the local press, the district’s food safety department conducted an inspection of the hostel kitchen. They collected samples of food, spices, and grains for further examination.

In an official statement, the institute clarified that the video footage was taken late at night in a closed-off section of the mess where no edible items were stored. They asserted that no food served to students had been contaminated and called the circulating videos a deliberate attempt by some students to misrepresent the situation. The institute maintained that all food served was safe and hygienic, and an investigation is underway reviewing the situation thoroughly.

However, students remained dissatisfied with the institute’s explanation, expressing concerns about the presence of infection-carrying rodents in the kitchen area. They questioned why rats were present in the mess if, as the institute claimed, all safety and hygiene protocols had been followed.