Food served in college canteens attract students, but not the faculty. From everyday Idli and chapatis to sandwiches and soft drinks, private colleges offer a variety to satiate the hunger of their students. In some city colleges, non-vegetarian food is also served. At the College of Engineering, Guindy, the erstwhile canteen would overflow with students and sundry crowd during lunch time that would stretch till 4 p.m. and it used to serve ice cream, sugar cane juice, meals, and snacks. The building has since been razed and a new facility is coming up. A few hundred feet away, the food court is now the new joint. For Anjana and her friends, it is the go-to place. “Sometimes we order chole batura,” she says, her eyes mirroring her excitement.
The coffee in the canteen is good, she adds.
As with hotels, the size of the tumbler can be debated, but when it comes to chole batura, there are no arguments. The newly constructed National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has a swanky canteen that is more preferred by professors. A professor says, “I prefer the NCSCM canteen as it is quiet and we can talk without having to raise our voice.”
Across the road the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has several facilities other than the student mess in hostels and the canteen for visitors. Yet, among the students, the one that takes pride of place is the eatery near the Management Studies Department.
It is one of those places where students would gather as a group or sit in twos and threes with their laptops and discuss their projects over snacks that could range from cookies to sandwiches. It is also a retreat for youngsters to get to know each other socially. Most faculty members stay away from student canteens though, as they tend to be noisy and crowded. In some city colleges, there are no separate facilities for teachers and students. Then, professors do not mind joining the students for tea.
