IITGN students, faculty, staff cook & serve ‘Thank You Lunch’ to nearly 100 mess workers

As a gesture of gratitude and appreciation towards the mess workers of the Institute, the Student Affairs office and members of the Indian Institute of Technology (IITGN) student council hosted a ‘Thank you Lunch’ for the Institute’s mess staff on April 14, 2024.

The event aimed to recognise and honour the invaluable contributions of the mess staff in ensuring the smooth functioning of mess operations and providing nutritious meals every day to the IITGN community.

The initiative brought together Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, Prof Sivapriya Kirubakaran, Dean Student Affairs, faculty members, staff, their families, and students of IITGN. Together, they took on the roles of chefs and servers, personally preparing and serving lunch to the mess staff as a token of appreciation for their tireless efforts.

Close to 100 mess staff members, including managers, chefs, cooking assistants, mess housekeeping staff, and serving staff, from all the three dining facilities at IITGN were invited for this special lunch.  

Reflecting on the significance of the initiative, Prof Sivapriya Kirubakaran, Dean of Student Affairs at IITGN, said, “Over the years mess staff have become part of the IITGN family as they serve high quality and hygienic meals to our students, faculty, and staff. Their hard work and dedication is unmatchable. To experience their hard work and to sincerely thank them, our students and student affairs office plan a thank you meal every year and this year with overwhelming participation from students, faculty, and staff we were able to show our immense gratitude to our mess staff. A day in the kitchen to make such a large quantity of meals is a great learning experience for our students who would be able to appreciate the hard work that goes behind every meal.”

“It was great to see the enthusiastic participation of the IITGN community in this initiative. I believe such initiatives bring all our community members closer to each other and give them a sense of togetherness and belonging,” said Prof Naveen Sisodia, Warden (Student Welfare), IITGN.

Elaborating on his experience, Gaurav Mahendra, IITGN student and mess secretary said, “It felt really great to be able to do this for our mess workers who serve us everyday and bring a smile to their faces. It was also an eye-opening experience to stand on the other side of the serving table and to experience the sheer hard work that goes into preparing and serving food everyday.”  

This heartfelt gesture was greatly appreciated by the IITGN mess workers who felt deeply valued and respected by the entire IITGN community.