As concerns over LPG availability linger, campus dining facilities at educational institutions are functioning with an optimised set of food offerings and contingency plans like firewood, and cooking on electric cooktops also being worked out.
Institutions said they are closely monitoring the situation and will resort to alternative cooking arrangements to ensure that students’ meals continue uninterrupted, especially with exams underway.
Students of IIT-Madras told businessline that the hostel canteens have trimmed menus with items like rotis becoming less frequent. Some other private eateries on the campus have slashed their menus, they added.
Dr Partha Sharathi Mallick, Pro-VC of VIT Vellore, said the university has gas supply until next week and is not facing issues at present.
“If there is LPG shortage, we have alternatives like electric and wood-based cooking. We are constantly in touch with various stakeholders like caterers and student council members, and are apprising them on the situation,” he said.
The college is operating at full capacity as exams are underway.
The Indian School of Business (ISB) has reportedly reduced items on the menu to better handle gas availability challenge.
Those doing well
IIT Hyderabad said that it has not faced any issue so far.
A spokesperson of the Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College here said that they have built a steam broiler to take care of hostel needs. “We are confident that we can depend entirely on the steam broiler,” the spokesperson said.
A large educational institution based in Coimbatore, which serves over 6,000 students thrice a day said that it has LPG for 2-3 days, and since it also has electric burners and uses them for about 60 per cent of its tasks, it has not yet changed the menu and is optimistic of continuing this way.
Dr Haree Shankar Meganathan, Vice chairman of Chennai’s Rajalakshmi Group, said that the institution has always prioritised sustainable cooking methods and uses industrial-grade electric cooking systems for most of its needs in cafeterias.
Published on March 13, 2026