Students at Delhi university fined for 'cooking biryani'

One of the students fined, Amir Malik asked, “since when is cooking indiscipline?”

Students at the Jawahalal Nehru University in Delhi have been fined up to INR 10,000 (Rs. 16,000) for "cooking food (biryani) in front of the Administrative Building'.

The offence allegedly took place as some students waited outside an administrative building to meet with the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the varsity. According to the Hindustan Times, the students were fined INR 6,000 for being "involved in cooking food... and eating it thereafter along with other students".



The former head of the Jawaharlal Nehru Student Union was fined INR 10,000 for "leading the protest demonstration inside V-C office" and also engaging in the preparation of biryani. The former President of the student union, Mohit Pandey, stated that the biryani had been cooked because the union representatives had not known when they would be allowed to meet with the VC.

“We were waiting inside since afternoon. Meanwhile, students waiting outside cooked food as no one knew when we would get the appointment. We got the appointment late in the night,” he said.

One of the students fined, Amir Malik, stated that the fines were a part of a witch-hunt. “The VC is targeting students who oppose him. There is no specific charge against us except that it says the VC can consider any act to be in violation of rules. Since when is cooking indiscipline?” he said.



Another student claimed that he was only talking with his friends for a few minutes and did not participate in the cooking of the biryani. The chief proctor, registrar and VC were all unwilling to comment on the incident.