Move to ban meat consumption in NIT Calicut; Only vegetarian on Tuesdays as an initial step

Kozhikode: National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut, moves to ban meat and eggs in the face of global climate challenges. As a first step, only vegetarian food would be served in the canteen on Tuesday once college resumes. The day will be called 'Green Tuesday'. Kozhikode NIT and Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences Pilani (BITS Pilani) has reached an agreement in this regard.

This is part of the Vegan Outreach's Green Tuesday initiative, which is a meat-reducing policy. Goa BITS Pilani will reduce the consumption of eggs and meat. It is claimed that dietary carbon footprint might be significantly lowered if the consumption of meat and eggs is reduced.

Vegan Outreach has 'discovered' that animal husbandry is the prime cause of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution and air pollution. Additionally, they claim that a report prepared by 107 scientists from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims that cutting back on meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products could help feed more people with less space and water.

Twenty-two universities and corporations, including Gautam Buddha University and Lovely Professional University, have signed the Vegan Outreach Green Tuesday Pledge. While certain institutions have stopped serving meat, others have reduced the quantity of eggs and dairy products served in their canteens. NIT Kozhikode Registrar, Lt. Colonel K Pankajakshan, said that he is not aware of such a memorandum being signed. He also added that it is not known whether such a move has been made by any of the departments.

Meanwhile, a representative of Vegan Outreach clarified that they had discussed the project with the mess coordinators and student coordinators and that only vegetarian food will be served in the mess on Tuesdays once the campus reopens.