The mess representatives’ debates for the eight messes were conducted on April 12, 2022. The entire process was supervised by six members of the Society for Students’ Mess Services Election Commission (SSMS EC). Each of the candidates explained their manifesto points and answered the subsequent questions of the SSMS EC and the GBM. Elections for Mess Representatives were scheduled for Tuesday, April 19.
VKB Mess
Three candidates were approved to stand for the mess representative elections for Vishwakarma–Bhagirath (VKB) mess. Digvijay Chakrabarti was the SSMS EC member present at the debate.
Chirag Kakkar presented his manifesto first. He promised to enable payments via the SSMS app at the pitstop and also install Wi-Fi routers in the mess building for the same. He added that the building would first have to be renovated in the summer vacation before the routers could be installed. The SSMS EC countered by saying that the building was not under the SSMS, and since the renovation was handled by the Estate Management Unit (EMU), all he could do was pitch for infrastructure related changes. Other points in his manifesto included opening the Evening and Night Canteen slots at the mess, installation of vending machines, and holding monthly meetings with the mess manager which could be attended by all the residents of Vishwakarma and Bhagirath Bhawans. Chirag also proposed to keep the outstation form available at all times. This will ensure that people going out of campus are not charged for mess services. He also promised to provide packaged food delivery to students who are sick.
Udbhav Awasthi, the second candidate, proposed to keep the pitstop open throughout the day. Further, he proposed a Cafeteria that would be open post dinner till midnight for those looking for a place to study while they eat, but the EC argued that this would interfere with the cleaning activities which go on after closing. He suggested infrastructural changes like the installation of charging ports, more tubelights, and a television for the entertainment of mess workers. The EC reiterated their arguments regarding infrastructural changes. He planned to add more utensils to the inventory. He also proposed to bring consistency in taste by installing a tea vending machine because the taste of morning tea varied depending on the mess worker preparing it according to him. His adamance on offering packaged food delivery to hostel rooms during exams prevailed even after the EC pointed out the amount of food that would be wasted in order to save time.
Ashutosh Sharma started by promising to make the SSMS app available on iOS while adding features such that it can be used for transactions and room delivery of food. He wished to make a vegetarian food item such as a sandwich available every day, similar to the way egg is an option for non-vegetarians. Ashutosh told the EC that he was aware of the resulting increase in price with his proposal. While planning to introduce random checking of ID cards/SU app to prevent outsiders from entering the VKB mess, he also promised to increase the number of quality checks on the food since numerous people had been falling ill for the previous few weeks. He promised to make chicken available on the live counter daily without the need to sign up for it the previous day. Many people in the audience argued that this feature was already available. Ashutosh later contradicted himself by saying that non-vegetarian food can be avoided on Tuesdays due to religious reasons of mess workers.
KG Mess
Pranav Shanmukh Yellayi ran unopposed for the position of Krishna–Gandhi (KG) Mess Representative. He defended his manifesto before SP Arun Ramanathan from the SSMS EC.
When questioned about the people he spoke to regarding his manifesto points, Pranav stated that he had spoken to the current SSMS President and the current SSMS Treasurer regarding his manifesto points while not having spoken to any mess workers or authorities such as the Chief Warden or anyone from the SWD.
Pranav stated his desire to install air coolers in the mess and make better use of the existing industrial vents for cooling. Arun informed Pranav that mess infrastructure was handled by the institution, and that the SSMS had no power to alter it. Pranav responded by saying, ‘It’s an initiative, right?’ He later conceded that this point was vague, and that he had not spoken to any of the concerned authorities about its implementation.
Regarding his manifesto point about allowing girls to enter KG mess, Arun questioned whether the caterers would allow this given that the number of girls entering the mess would be very fluid. However, Pranav said that it could be feasible by first sending out Google Forms to get an estimate and ‘decide accordingly’.
Next, Pranav was questioned about his plan to organise an SSMS gala. He stated that it would either be a buffet or a barbeque organised in an open space like M-Lawns, with a bonfire or an open mic for entertainment. ‘This is one of the points which could be dicey.’ Pranav said. He further added that it would depend on permission from the institution.
His next point stated that he would install ice cube dispensers in the mess. When asked if he had taken the water crisis in Pilani into consideration, Pranav said that he had not, and would prioritise this point below the other points on his manifesto.
The next point was increasing the fine for substandard food to up to rupees one lakh. Pranav was asked about how he intended to implement this, and whether he had spoken to the caterers regarding the same. He replied that he had spoken to the SSMS President, who ‘acknowledges that the current fine is less’. He could not elaborate on how the caterers would agree to sign a contract imposing higher fines on them.
Lastly, Pranav was asked why he had decided to apply for the SSMS after having worked in the Students’ Union (SU) in the past. He said that while he was satisfied with his work in the SU, and that he might go back to it eventually, but as the Mess Representative has a tenure of two months, he believes that he could work for the good of the GBM through this post.
SR Mess
The Mess Representatives Debate for Srinivasa Ramanujan (SR) Mess began at 6 PM. Two candidates had applied for the position—Munish Jain and Rishi Raj Gautam. The introduction of the candidates’ manifestos was followed by the present SSMS EC member and the GBM questioning them on their points. Munish’s manifesto declared his intention to start the option of ‘Evening Snacks’ at the mess. The SSMS EC questioned him on the feasibility of the same. He was also probed on his research of the reason for the Evening Canteen shutting down the previous semester. After several questions, Munish concluded that the increased workload of the canteen would be resolved by hiring additional workers but the procedural solution was left unresolved. On being asked about how he will prioritise complaints if his point regarding complaint books was implemented, Munish focused on the factors of popular demand and feasibility. He explained that if a suggestion was accepted by a majority of people and if it was feasible, then it would be implemented.
The second candidate for the position was Rishi Raj Gautam. His point regarding change in mess menu according to residents’ recommendation and changes in pitstop products according to a monthly Google Form elicited a bunch of questions from both, the SSMS EC, and the audience. Rishi answered by stating that as a mess representative, he will have some say in influencing the changes in the mess menu according to the needs of SR Bhawan’s residents. Adding an extra non–vegetarian meal weekly was also a large focus of the debate; its logistics and effect on the mess fees, especially on vegetarian students, was scrutinised by the SSMS EC. Rishi was unable to provide a conclusive argument. While the SSMS EC pointed out that a lot of his manifesto points were based on assumptions, Rishi shared his experience of a washroom feedback system that he had tried to implement, wherein he had catalogued the complaints of residents over two weeks. This had helped him make his point through to the SR Warden, according to Rishi.
RB Mess
The Mess Representatives Debate for Ram–Budh Mess was held at 5 PM. Yuvraj Khanna, Varun Varma, and Tarun Vashishtha—all from the 2020 batch—came forward to present their manifesto points to the SSMS Election Commission and the other attendees of the debate. While a number of points were similar between the three contestants, the main difference existed in their plans for implementation. The SSMS EC questioned Yuvraj about his point of “fines on Food Service Provider (FSP) in case of very oily food”. He was questioned on his failure to give a quantifiable metric through his manifesto, to which no concrete answer was provided. Varun Varma’s manifesto included points about diversification of the pitstop menu to which the EC scrutinised the need for specialised equipment and the additional load on workers. Varun declared that its feasibility would be decided after an implementation on trial basis. The EC questioned him about the feasibility of using non-stick plastic utensils instead of the metal ones because of a lack of cleanliness. Varun said that they were ‘addressing the issue at its root level’—that is, how the problem is the cleanliness and not whether the utensils are metal or plastic. Tarun’s manifesto talked about introducing seasonal fruits and vegetables to the pitstop menu but the SSMS EC probed him about his application of such a ‘dynamic menu’ when a deal has already been carried out with the FSP. The SSMS EC also questioned him about his ‘very vague manifesto’, after which Tarun tried to explain his manifesto to a greater detail. Each candidate was also questioned by the other audience members, which mainly comprised the opposing candidates’ campaigners.
Meera Mess
The Mess Representative Debate for Meera mess was a short affair, with only one candidate, Archi Jain, contesting. Archi began by reading and explaining her manifesto points aloud. The SSMS EC representative, Samikhya, supervised the entire process and asked questions pertaining to Archi’s manifesto.
Her manifesto had sections revolving around hygiene, healthier eating options, making boys’ messes accessible to Meera’s residents, and extending pitstop timings. She emphasised the importance of replacing the existing flycatchers and dustbins to enforce better hygiene standards. The Meera mess has 249 spoons currently, which, as intimated to Archi, was insufficient. This has proved to be a hassle for the mess workers because they either have to wait for a long time before giving the cutlery to students or make do with providing wet spoons. She suggested buying 200 more spoons to solve this problem. Samikhya raised doubts over this solution since not all 700 residents of Meera would be in the mess at any given point in time, in response to which Archi just reiterated her previous statements.
The candidate then proposed adding Rice Krispies, Cornflakes, and wheat biscuits to cater to the needs of students facing health issues such as low haemoglobin and iron deficiencies. Quoting numbers from the Blood Donation Camp that was organised recently, she attributed the dismal number of female donors to their low haemoglobin levels. When asked about how this would affect the Mess Basic, she said they could add a minimal amount to the current fee, recognising that the current basic is optimised to the students’ needs.
Archi requested the SSMS EC to nullify one of her points regarding opening the pitstop during breakfast hours since this had already been implemented by then. She touched upon other initiatives like introducing organic snacks in the pitstop, distributing the leftovers to the underprivileged population of Pilani, and introducing a subscription-based model for food items like peanut butter and oats. There was significant back-and-forth between the SSMS EC and the candidate about allowing girls in the Ram-Budh mess. Since there were no estimates or checks on the exact number of students availing facilities of either of the messes, Samikhya questioned Archi on how she would implement this. Archi explained how the contract with BCH was for a combined population of 1700 students and not each of the messes in seclusion. As per her, on ‘good menu days’, it was common for the contractor’s truck to return and refill the said messes’ portions. She would, thus, facilitate the negotiation process with BCH to add this to their current contract.
Archi also spoke about introducing evening snacks at the mess since, according to her, most students did not prefer to eat in the scorching heat. They would then resort to eating at the redi in the evening, further hampering their dinner schedules. The debate concluded with Samikhya bringing to the candidate’s notice that a similar concept had already been tried in 2019. However, seeing the grim response in Meera, it was shifted to the Ram-Budh Mess, where girls could avail the said services.
CVR Mess
The Mess Representative Debate for the CV Raman mess was extremely brief. Manikya Varshney—from the 2018 batch—ran unopposed. He entered the mess, along with his campaigners, five minutes past the prescribed time.
The SSMS EC began by asking him to go through the points of his manifesto and asked him to explain how he would implement them. Manikya claimed that the current seating capacity was inadequate. When asked what changes he would make to the current seating arrangement, he failed to answer. He further explained that an adequate disposal system for waste was not in place and proposed building a drainage system behind the mess. However, he had not spoken to the EMU to discuss its viability.
Manikya was adamant about letting students pack food, especially during breakfast, for a nominal fee. He signed off by saying he would work to the best of his abilities, regardless of the short term being offered.
SV Mess
Amidst a crowd of General Body Members (GBM) and limited facilities in the Shankar–Vyas (SV) mess, conducting the Mess Representative pre-election debates was a cumbersome task for the SSMS EC. The two candidates standing for the position, Aniket Chowda and Nishant Yadav, both from Vyas Bhawan laid down their manifesto points to the GBM present after a 15-20 minute delay from the scheduled time of 5:45 PM.
Frequent interruptions and abrupt commotions caused a hassle for the candidates as they tried to explain their manifesto’s contents to the GBM. Due to this, the three members of the SSMS EC present for the debate had to try their level best to get the crowd under control. There was a round of questioning of the candidates first by the SSMS EC followed by cross-questioning between the candidates by the campaign managers. Some questions from the GBM were taken up shortly after.
Nishant’s fourth manifesto point about making milk a dinner-time Mess Basic raised many eyebrows amongst both the SSMS EC and the GBM since it would be an unnecessary increased cost for those who do not drink milk with dinner. He claimed that the 250ml supplied as a breakfast Mess Basic for 800 people is sparsely used. Therefore, adjusting the amount of milk supplied between breakfast and dinner would not have a significant effect on the overall cost.
Anshika Gupta from the SSMS EC asked Aniket about the implementation of stocking the pitstop with items that are popular amongst students. His plan was to circulate a Google Form which would be checked on a weekly basis and the most popular items coming up on the form would be selected. On being asked about the feasibility of the plan, he claimed to have spoken with the mess authorities who said that it was possible to implement this proposal.
Aniket questioned Nishant about the medical responsibility that would come to the BITS administration if they were to give the waste food to any non-governmental organisation. According to Nishant, the responsibility would fall onto the NGO itself. He described his conversation with the person from the NGO he said he spoke to. According to him, the NGO would first conduct a survey to check if the waste food coming from the messes was suitable for consumption of the people in need, and only then would they take the waste food.
One of Nishant’s campaigners questioned the final point in Aniket’s manifesto under the pretext that there are grub committees and grub coordinators to handle the proceedings for the same. The former said that there was no need for a mess representative in planning a grub. For Aniket, the organisation of the grubs had been “vague” and he claimed that his efforts would make the grubs a better experience for the students.
The deliberations between the two camps saw no end and the crowd only got more difficult to control with time. Since mess dinner timings were approaching, the SSMS EC concluded the proceedings after a few questions from the GBM.
Mal Mess
The Malviya Mess Representative position was contested by Naman Dhameja and Praveen Singh Rana, both of whom proposed solutions to problems encountered by the students involved with this mess. Both parties concurred that the current hygiene standards were tolerable at best. Naman suggested routine hygiene checks, pest control treatments, and deep cleaning programs, while Praveen impressed upon the urgent need to sanitise and thoroughly clean all utensils and steelware. Naman then added that he felt it was vital that the mess workers were equipped with gloves and masks to ensure sanitary handling of food and food items. Praveen and Naman also agreed upon the lack of sufficient lighting in the Malviya mess and proposed the installation of bright LED lights in the mess. Owing to the summer heat, both parties also recommended solutions that the mess could offer—Naman proposed the sale of buttermilk at the pitstop, whereas Praveen brought up the idea of serving cold water in the mess.
Praveen expressed the need for a more varied menu with an explicit claim to include South-Indian dishes and Special Menus at least once a week. He also pointed out the lack of an organised food menu and called into question the current mess timings. Praveen further brought up the importance of segregating vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking stations. He then claimed that every dish should incorporate the use of a different gravy and voiced his concern over the poorly cooked rotis and chapatis that are served in the mess.
Meanwhile, Naman brought attention to the inconvenience of using ID cards at the pitstop. He proposed the integration of the SU app for pitstop payments and suggested that all expenses be visible on the SSMS app as well. Naman also spoke about the need to instate an opt-out option for higher degree students. He elaborated on this by citing the availability of this option to PhD students, who can choose to opt-out of the compulsory mess charges. Naman claimed that like the PhD students, higher degree students should not have to pay on a semester basis, but instead on a per-meal basis.