We would like to draw the attention of the administration of IIT Delhi to a recent notice (issued by the Wardens of individual hostels in IIT Delhi) stating that the amount of the mess-fees to be paid by 21st January, 2016 is INR 22,000. It also states that the fees for the upcoming summer mess (INR 6000) is also included in this amount.

• The interesting point is: although it is a very well known fact to the administration that the B.Tech students have to vacate their rooms during every semester break (very small fraction of B.Tech students stay back during the break and that too after taking permission to stay in the hostel), they are still being charged for the summer-mess, which is completely illogical! Most of the final year M.tech students would not be staying in hostels during the Summer. So it does not make sense to pay for vacation mess, while the authorities already have 10k as deposit.
• According to the recent changes in the curriculum all M.Des students have to go for a mandatory internship during the summers.  Again, taking money in advance...no logic. 
• The recent registration fees payable by the IIT Delhi students (min. 10k, approx.) + mess fees stated in the notice make up a total amount of min. 32k. This is more than the monthly stipend of M.Tech and the PhD students. Paying an amount which is more than the monthly income in one go is a burden for any individual (failure to do this is going to cost an additional fine of 2000 INR). Also, note that many of the PhD students share some financial responsibilities with their families. Given the cost of living in Delhi, such decisions do make them concerned.  
• Think: INR 6000 extra from each of the students in IITD => Approx. 4.2 crores if the number of students is 7000 (approx). With a yearly 3% interest rate this will generate an interest of INR 4.2 lakhs in 4 months. If one considers the 4 semester stay of the M.Techs and on an avg. 8 semester stay of the PhDs, during each semester break they 'll keep on refilling this amount. Note that though the PhDs and M.Techs will mostly stay during the breaks and the advance 'll be spent, B.Techs 'll not be staying in hostels during the breaks and their advances 'll keep on cumulating...never spent during their 4 years stay! Who gets this extra interest? Where is the transparency in this process? It's our money and we have the right to know how is this extra interest going to be spent at the end of the day.
• When there's a visit from Dean/ any other administrative person in the hostel, the quality of the basic food even improves dramatically! What stops the management to maintain the same quality when there's no such visit? We are not convinced by the quality of the food that IITD provides against the money we are paying.
• Why is it mandatory to avail the vacation mess if one stays back in the hostel during the vacation? At the semester start the hostel seat rent, electricity etc. and the mess-fees are charged separately. Why is it not the same during the vacation? If someone wants to stay in the hostel and don't eat in the vacation mess (note that this is a just claim because, the food in the vacation mess is way sub-standard than the normal mess) why is he/she not given the freedom to pay for the hostel rent and not for the vacation mess? Is it because the mess contractors would be deprived of the extra money that they get during the vacation period by providing sub-standard food to us? There's no such rule in the other IITs or IISc.    

We, the student community of IITD want:

• more transparency in the process of fees collection.
• a provision to pay the amount in installments.
• to pay the summer mess fees during summer.  
• all the bills/rates from the seller from whom the items are brought and the rates provided by the competitive sellers to be made public.
• either the option to choose whether or not to avail the vacation mess or a satisfactory explanation of why these are tied together despite the fact that there is no such rule in other IITs.