While students have alleged that the COVID-19 protocol was not followed in common areas and facilities, the institute insists it had regulations in place.
After more than 190 COVID-19 cases were reported on its campus in December, IIT Madras has now denied allegations that the infection spread in a common dining room, which was the only room open for students and academics from research ate, for the last few months. The institute further claimed that the students’ claims that the portions of food delivered to their rooms were insufficient were unfounded.
TNM had reported Wednesday that graduate students who tested positive for the coronavirus alleged that the institute denied their requests to open other canteens. The students had further alleged that the portions of food that were delivered to their rooms after positive cases were found on campus were insufficient and poor in terms of quality.
Responding to these allegations, IIT has said: “This is incorrect. We have allocated 100 students per 30 minute space in a 400-seat hallway. We are operating multiple canteens. We had a vendor cook the food when the total number of students it was less than 600, and we recently started a second caterer. The number of caterers is related to the total number of students and having more than one gives us resilience when caterers turn positive. The number of canteens it is independent of the number of catering companies and is related to the rules of physical distancing and the total number of students. “
The institute has also maintained that the amount of food served was adequate. “The food provided in the package supplied to the rooms may be insufficient for some students, as it is not possible to repeat the portions, but the amount served is on a standard plate and the weight is consistent with a standard meal. The services The catering services are the same as they served before the pandemic. They also face some limitations regarding the items they can safely serve and limitations regarding the availability of vegetables due to the recent rains in Tamil Nadu. The menus have been streamlined since now we do not have 10 catering companies with multiple kitchens serving 8,000 students, “the institute clarified.
The administration has further noted that no staff member has tested positive. However, mess workers have been and were among the first to be diagnosed with the coronavirus. While students have alleged that the COVID-19 protocol was not followed in common areas and facilities, the institute insists it had regulations in place.
“We brought back researchers who needed to do experimental work after the state government allowed it. The Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for their return, including the 14-day quarantine and RT-PCR testing, was developed and implemented in consultation with the health department authorities “, they clarified. “Once released into the shelters, the students have pledged not to leave campus and go to their labs and shelter rooms alone. The shelters are also sparsely populated, with 750 students spread across 9 shelters with a capacity of almost 4,000. There are SoPs for labs as well, to ensure physical distancing, which determines how many students can work in a lab at any given time, “he added.
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