Dining Hall (DH) Coupon Price Hike

Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) wishes to bring to your notice the issue of increase in prices of food coupons of Dining Hall (DH) in the campus. This price hike was brought out by the DH management in the circular dated 9^th December 2013 with effect from 1^st January 2014.

The DH management has justified the increase in coupon price by giving us details that there has been an inflation/increase in rates by 65% of the raw materials for cooking and payments towards staff working in the dining hall. From the detailed explanation and the tables provided by the DH management regarding reasons behind the hike in prices, we understand that there is a strain on DH.  However, a large number of the student community has been affected by this increase. This increase will also affect members of staff who buy coupons and eat in the DH.

PSF urges the management to relook into this steep increase of Rs. 10 (50% increase) for breakfast, Rs. 10 (33% increase) for lunch and Rs. 10 (28% increase) for dinner which amounts to an increase of Rs. 30 per day.

Food item	Previous rate	Revised rate	Percentage increase
Breakfast	Rs. 20/	Rs. 30/	50 %
Lunch	Rs. 30/	Rs. 40/	33%
Dinner	Rs. 35/	Rs. 45/	28%

The management should understand that students who live outside the campus usually stay back in the campus after their classes till dinner time as it is the most economically viable option for food. To the students, DH has been a cushion from very high prices and economic burden that exists outside the campus. However, that has changed with this steep hike. Also, an important aspect which is often ignored while citing inflation is that the intake of students has also gone up in recent years. We request the DH management to reconsider this hike in prices of coupons and take the opinion of students while making any changes regarding it.

Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF)

Tata Institute of Social Sciences

25^th January, 2014