Visakhapatnam: There is a growing demand for introduction of “learning vegetarian only” at hotel management institutions across the country. Sensing the ever-growing demand, the Union government has introduced vegetarian courses in three institutes in Gandhinagar, Jaipur and Bhopal from this academic year.
About 18 other institutions are likely to follow suit from next academic year subject to necessary infrastructure being readied. However, activists, students and hoteliers want it to be extended to all institutions including the private ones.
Hotel management courses demand prospective chefs to be able to prepare non-vegetarian dishes because of which, students find it difficult to ‘specialise’ for becoming chefs in vegetarian foods.
Due to insufficient number of chefs with specialised knowledge, hoteliers too are hesitant to start vegetarian hotel chains. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there is no institution that offers vegetarian courses.
Speaking to DC, Chandrasekhar R. Luniya, a Pune-based chartered accountant whose online petition on www.chan-ge.org has drawn the support of more than 4,000 netizens, said; “Our long-standing demand for “Degree for Vegetarians in Hotel Management Course” has reached some fruition with the introduction of the courses at three institutions. We have been advocating the option of “Learning Vegetarian only” in all Institutions, whether they are run by government or private managements. Such a change is the need of the hour. The vegetarian degrees will not only boost the prospects of students, but will also benefit the hotel and tourism industry,” Mr Luniya added.
T. Sumanth, a second year BHM student at the Sun Institute of Hotel Management echoed the opinion of Mr Luniye. “Some communities were not joining the courses due to the non-vegetarian food. If it is introduced across the country, it will definitely produce qualified, specialist vegetarian chefs,” Mr Sumanth added.
