On December 4, 2022, the mess representatives debates were conducted for the eight messes on campus. Members of the Society for Students’ Mess Services Election Commission (SSMS EC) were in charge of the whole process. Candidates presented their manifestos and answered questions raised by the SSMS EC and the GBM. Elections for mess representatives have been scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
Malviya Mess
The post of Malviya mess representative was poorly contested, with only one candidate standing for the same. At 10 AM, the scheduled time for the debate, only six GBM members were present in the mess, all of whom left after completing their breakfast. Five minutes later, Bagul Karan Ravindra, a first-year higher-degree student, arrived to defend his manifesto before two members of the SSMS Election Commission. The debate was spectated by two of his accompanying friends.
Karan was motivated to stand for the position because he wanted to work towards fixing the various issues in the mess system.
The first point in his manifesto was centred around the ambience of the mess, which he wanted to improve with better lighting. On being told that he would have to discuss the matter with the Estate Management Unit (EMU), he accepted that he would have to take the issue up with them. He also wanted to improve the “quality” of the food and suggested changing vendors; and he was informed that most messes had the same vendor. He said that this “may” be one of the reasons why the food was undercooked or poorly made. He also pushed for an increase in the variety of dishes.
One of his main ventures was revamping the SSMS app. He said he had spoken to the SSMS Technical Team and was confident they would back his ideas. He admitted, however, that he was not aware of the capabilities of the Technical Team. On being asked how he could help as a mess representative, he said he could raise issues with the President and Secretary of the SSMS, who could then make necessary changes.
Karan also intended to establish a proper mechanism for food delivery whenever residents were unwell and could not eat in the mess. He proposed using the SSMS app to streamline the process of requesting a few items that would be available throughout the day. When asked about estimating the food required and potential wastages, he said they would study the requests sent over a period of time and prepare quantities accordingly.
To conclude, he listed a few points he prioritised over the rest—improving the ambience, creating a food delivery system, and monitoring food quality. He was informed of the other organisations on campus that he would have to correspond with to implement those measures. While he had not considered that requirement or spoken to some of those entities, he was confident that he would be able to reach an agreement with them.
Krishna-Gandhi Mess
Four candidates—namely, Yuvraj Singh Lathar, Ananay Mayor, Aayush Paurana, and B Lakshit—stood for the mess representative elections for Krishna-Gandhi (KG) Mess.
Yuvraj Singh Lathar, the only fourth yearite contesting, was the first to present his manifesto. He proposed a “pay-for-what-you-eat” system, according to which students will not be charged for the meals they miss. When questioned about the feasibility of this proposed system, he claimed it to be viable considering it has already been successfully implemented at the Hyderabad campus. He also suggested a complete refurbishment of the SSMS app and making it compatible with iOS devices. He aims to add more items, such as fruits, fruit juices, and Pilani sweets, to the pitstop. According to him, his responsibilities include attending all council meetings, seeking feedback from all stakeholders, and preventing malpractices.
The second candidate to elaborate on his manifesto was Ananay Mayor. He proposed the addition of several items to the pitstop based on the feedback he plans to receive from all students by floating a Google form. He added that the taste of the food is sub-par, and needs to change. This, he feels, can be achieved by encouraging mess workers to learn from the chefs, who are called to prepare the grubs of all cultural associations. He also planned to ensure that milk is provided free of charge during dinner, since it is a basic necessity.
Aayush Paurana, the third candidate, stated his proposal to include healthier and protein-rich food items in the mess. He claimed that the Jain menu is not very exhaustive and promised to improve its situation. According to him, it is crucial to necessitate better crowd management, revamp the SSMS app, and introduce snacks which are not available at redis.
The last candidate to present his manifesto was B Lakshit. He stressed the need for a vegetarian live counter that could serve sandwiches. According to him, maintaining a functioning complaints forum and keeping tissue papers in the mess would also go a long way. To tackle the problem of students stealing products from the pitstop, he proposed using the PhonePe merchant website, which displays all past payments. Lakshit promised to ensure that the rotis are well-cooked and remove the limitations on the number of fruits one is allowed to take. Lastly, he emphasised the importance of providing packaged food to sick students, especially considering the ongoing flu season, and promised to implement it.
Srinivasa Ramanujan Mess
Three candidates stood for the position of mess representative for Srinivasa Ramanujan (SR) mess. The candidates presented the points in their manifesto, following which they were questioned by the SSMS EC about the same. Several points overlapped between the three candidates’ manifestos, such as evening snacks being added to the mess and the inclusion of tea, coffee, and milk during dinner hours. As the point was not mentioned in any of the candidates’ manifestos, the EC informed the GBM that if such changes are implemented, an increase in the mess fee will likely occur.
Tarun Kaswan went first, and the key point in his manifesto was about holding an annual grub for current and former residents of SR Bhawan. He mentioned that doing so will allow the former residents to return to the Bhawan and reminisce about their days there. The EC asked him about the venue for the grub, but Tarun was unsure between the mess building and the lawns outside it. The EC highlighted that the SSMS is not in charge of the lawns. He also stated that, albeit minimal, he would provide a food packaging facility on a chargeable basis.
Ritvik Chaudhari went next. He stated that he strongly wanted evening snacks to be added to the mess. He promised to resign from his post if the change does not happen within one week of his tenure. He claimed that he will add dishes from each South Indian state to the menu, as he felt that the current variety was lacking. He also mentioned having ‘live counters’ for warm eggs and omelettes in the mess but the EC highlighted that it may not be possible as the stall will take a lot of time between each serving.
Sree Vighnesh Janapareddy was the last to present his manifesto. The EC mentioned that numerous changes proposed in his manifesto, such as using groundnut oil for cooking and having protein shakes in the pitstop, would be very difficult to accommodate due to financial limitations. His main proposal was that, if elected, he would make sure that mess workers receive ‘training’ at an NGO to ‘improve their skills’.
CV Raman Mess
The CV Raman (CVR) mess saw two candidates defend their manifesto in front of the SSMS EC members and the GBM.
Raj Shekhar Jha, from the 2019 batch went first, with his major contesting point being the refurbishment of the SSMS app. He added that students could use the app for ordering from the pitstop, signing up for grubs, and providing feedback for each meal. The SSMS EC informed him that the app was already in development and inquired about his contribution in the same. Raj Shekar replied that he would “get it done quickly.” He also proposed to add a counter for fresh fruit juices. On being probed about the finances for this, he mentioned that he had talked to the concerned authorities. The revenue generated would compensate for the establishment costs. His last point was about the renovation of pitstop and proceeded to contradict himself on whether he plans to add a new fridge or not.
The opposing candidate was Utkarsh Singh, another fourth year student. He proposed to add a packing facility for a nominal fee. The SSMS EC suggested that this would lead to food wastage, which Utkarsh conceded. He stressed the importance of providing healthier and less oily food in the mess and promised to introduce nutritious recipes. He also talked about introducing protein shakes and bars at the live counter but failed to convince the EC about their demand or feasibility.
Ram-Budh Mess
Four candidates applied for the position of Ram-Budh (RB) mess representative—Aarsh Khare, Abhinav Lamba, Arin Mangal, and Sarthak Agarwal. The debate started with each candidate introducing themselves and going over their manifesto, followed by each candidate being questioned by the present members of the SSMS EC and the GBM.
Common issues were brought up by all the candidates, which included the lack of hygiene and the shortage of utensils in the mess caused by large numbers of students belonging to other hostels eating there.
Sarthak proposed the installation of a tablet to collect feedback from the students. He also promised to increase the vegetarian options at the live counter. When asked about the financial feasibility of these plans, he claimed to have obtained permission from the SSMS Treasurer, but was unaware of where the funds for them would come from without increasing the mess basic fee.
Abhinav promised to extend the pitstop timings until 8:30 PM. When asked about how he would get staff for this without increasing salaries, he explained that the workers stay in the mess till 9:30 PM in any case. He suggested that one or two of the local workers could man the pitstop while the others continued to close up the mess. Abhinav also proposed the ‘restarting of the Roots Cafeteria for fresh fruits and juices.’ He claimed that the logistics for the same have been worked out and the cafeteria could be functional within a month.
Aarsh wished to reintroduce the Night Canteen, which was started on a trial basis during his third semester. When asked about the relevance of the canteen, given that Looters and ToTT are right behind the bhawans, his only reply was that the canteen would be cheaper. He also insisted on the introduction of maggi as an option at the live counter. On being questioned about the point of doing so when there are redis all over the campus, he explained that redis are closed during meal times.
Arin proposed the introduction of an ‘Employee of the Month’ system for the mess workers to incentivise better performance. The winner for each month would get a monetary bonus, and their picture would be put up on the notice board. When asked about where the money for this bonus would come from, he explained that the bonuses would only be around INR 800 to INR 1200 which, according to him, could be easily arranged.
Shankar-Vyas Mess
The mess representative debates for Shankar-Vyas (SV) mess began at 2 PM. The debate witnessed participation from candidates Shaurya Bansal, Tanish Nevatia, and Keshav Maheshwari. The present panellists of the SSMS Election Commission (SSMS EC) directed the nominees to first briefly introduce themselves to the GBM and then discuss their manifesto points.
The EC was prompt in pointing out that ensuring hygiene is a mess representative’s fundamental duty and does not need exclusive mention in the manifesto. Keshav stated that in pre-COVID times there were a total of 370 mess workers and his conversation with the mess manager ‘implied’ that present numbers are down to half. It has been a while since new workers were hired and with a current batch of fourteen mess workers, he voiced for hiring five more. He further stressed that certain nutritional food items are often left untouched by students. To prevent this wastage, he wished to explore alternatives, however, when prodded by the SSMS EC about the details of these alternatives, all he could say was ‘there are various options.’
The other two candidates raised common issues of launching the SSMS app on iOS and the use of QR codes to make purchases from the pitstop. The SSMS EC informed the GBM that the SSMS app already has a QR code that will soon connect pitstop and grubs. They questioned the candidate’s role in providing the service when the feature was already under development. Both candidates said they essentially wished to act as catalysts in the process and ensure the early release of these features.
Shaurya suggested maintaining a food wastage ratio that would determine the frequency of a certain food item in the mess menu. Food items with a higher proportion wasted would be provided at a lower frequency. The SSMS EC argued that the alternatives brought in would still have lesser demand since the menu has to stay consistent with nutritional values. Shaurya held his ground by emphasising that the initiative has the potential to reduce wastage. Moving on to his next point, he reminded the GBM that the UPI service at pitstops was discontinued after a case of misuse was reported. To reinstate the service, he suggested the purchase of a PayTm voice box at the cost of INR 300.
The next candidate, Tanish, pointed out that items like cheese slices, butter, cup noodles, and peanut butter are usually not available in the pitstop and he intends to make them available. He also plans to add regional food items to the menu after consulting with the SSMS President, mess workers, and cultural associations. These items will not require a higher budget and can be prepared after consultation with the respective cultural associations. He further spoke about adding protein-rich items like boiled chicken, fibrous vegetables, protein shakes, and smoothies. When the SSMS EC asked about the availability of the constituent ingredients in Pilani, Tanish agreed for it to be done on a trial basis first.
The debate lasted for over an hour that also witnessed the candidates cross-questioning each other. The SSMS EC finally concluded the proceedings after the GBM put forth some of their own questions.
Meera Mess
Three candidates—Ananya Singh, Aarya Garg, and Ananya Goyal—contested for the position of the Meera mess representative and stood before the GBM to present their manifestos. The meeting was overseen by members of the SSMS EC, and took place at 11 AM on December 4, 2022 in the Meera mess.
The first candidate, Ananya Singh, had a manifesto revolving around three major points—greasy utensils, oily food, and inconvenient mess timings. She recommended providing healthier and high fibre foods as well as extending breakfast and dinner timings. An EC member pointed out that introducing yoghurt and beans will lead to an increase in the cost per head. There was also a back-and-forth discussion regarding the financial feasibility and health impacts of providing freshly-squeezed juices in the winter.
Opposing Ananya, Aarya Garg—the second candidate—claimed that extending the dinner mess timings was not feasible due to transport issues faced by workers. However, she agreed that extending the lunch timings was of vital concern. She also highlighted the lack of fruits provided in the mess. Additionally, she suggested installing feedback tablets and providing Google forms for regular feedback. Furthermore, she emphasised the need for health checkups as well as training sessions for the workers and adequate scholarships for their children. The EC members probed Aarya about the financial stress that would be caused by adding special items regularly to the menu. On being asked about the practicality of hosting training sessions on regional cuisines for the workers, she responded that she had talked to Blue Chip Hospitality (BCH), one of the Food Service Providers, about its feasibility and would try to hold the sessions frequently.
The third candidate, Ananya Goyal, focused on the unhygienic conditions of the utensils. She proposed proper cleaning measures to solve the problem. Similar to the candidates before her, she put forward the idea of updating the menu, taking feedback through Google forms, providing fresh fruit at the pitstop, and extending the lunch timings. The EC members scrutinised the viability of extending the mess timings and the financial capability of providing fruits—especially seasonal and non-local fruits—in the mess. They also questioned Ananya on her idea of adding tissue dispensers near the wash basins.
Following this, a cross-questioning session was conducted between the contestants. However, due to a clash with the mess timings, the meeting concluded early with the GBM not getting a chance to probe the candidates.
Vishwakarma–Bhagirath Mess
The mess representative debate for Vishwakarma-Bhagirath (VKB) mess began at 2:20 PM with Pulkit Gupta standing unopposed for the position. A supervising member from the Society for Students’ Mess Services Election Commission (SSMS EC) was present for the debate.
Pulkit began by giving an introduction of his manifesto, which was followed by the present SSMS EC member questioning him on his points. Pulkit’s first point involved plans to revamp the SSMS app by adding QR code functionality, which would operate in a manner similar to the SU app. The EC member asked him how this was a new point that he would implement as the current and previous SSMS had already been working on introducing this feature. Pulkit eventually agreed that he would be trying to ensure execution of the feature and not implement it as a new feature. He also highlighted that he has talked to the pitstop seller and circulated a Google form based on which he would add new items like cheese, peanut butter, and cup noodles to the VKB mess pitstop. He was further questioned on the issue of wastage of these items. He told him that he would order a few supplies initially and then order more based on popular demand. Pulkit said that he also plans to reintroduce the evening/night canteen for VKB mess.
Pulkit elaborated on his manifesto point stating that he would introduce monthly review meetings in the mess for VKB residents to voice their concerns about the mess. When asked about how it would be better than the current feedback system, he replied that the action taken on the previous month’s issues would be updated in the next month’s meeting. Pulkit’s other points included installing a tea/coffee machine in the VKB mess, stopping fraudulent use of mess services such as the milk service, and implementing the use of the SSMS app for grub signings. SSMS EC highlighted that a lot of Pulkit’s points were based on the SSMS central fund and not something he could promise solely as the VKB mess representative. They also told Pulkit that offline grub signings are likely to be more effective, proving his point by asking how many of the nine people present have the SSMS app installed. Only two had the app and Pulkit replied saying that the app was currently not available on iOS and that implementing grub signings on the app would incentivise more people to download the app.
The debate concluded as no members of the GBM were present at the debate to further question the candidate about his manifesto.