Gas Shortage Disrupts Mess Services at Savitribai Phule Pune University; Students Protest

Pune, 16th March 2026: A shortage of cooking gas has disrupted food services at Savitribai Phule Pune University, forcing students to manage with limited and poorly cooked meals over the past two days. The situation has led to protests by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), who staged a demonstration outside the university refectory on Saturday.

Students said the gas shortage, reportedly linked to the ongoing tensions in Gulf countries, has severely affected the functioning of mess facilities on the campus. In the girls’ hostels, only simple dal and rice have been served for the past two days, while in the boys’ mess students have been given just one half-cooked vegetable dish.

Due to the lack of adequate fuel, food is not being cooked properly, raising concerns about students’ health and nutrition. Students argued that the university administration should not allow them to go hungry by citing the gas shortage as a reason.

With services disrupted in all four messes and canteens on campus, anger has been growing among students. The protesting students demanded that the university authorities and the Vice-Chancellor intervene immediately, arrange alternative fuel supplies and restore regular meal services at the earliest.