Guwahati: More than 60 students fell ill at the Central Institute of Technology in Kokrajhar. The mass sickness hit the Gambari Sikhla Girls Hostel on the night of September 26. Students blame unhygienic meals served at the facility in Balagaon. They staged a campus protest on September 28 to demand accountability.
The students want the current food contract scrapped immediately. They also demand better security, a permanent registrar, and reliable ambulance access. Acting Registrar Hemanta Kumar Kalita promised to review these grievances once an investigation concludes. The administration is now under pressure to act.
Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Chakraborty formed a committee to probe the food quality. Two Additional Deputy Commissioners arrived on site to monitor the fallout. Chakraborty promised a crackdown on poor catering. "Strict measures would be taken to prevent the supply of substandard food to students in the future," he said. Officials await the committee findings to decide on further disciplinary action.
Updated at 28th September 2026 at 10:30pm
Medical staff at Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital treated the victims for vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and headaches. Doctors confirmed the patients are now in stable condition. Students claim they repeatedly flagged the filthy kitchen conditions to the administration prior to the outbreak, but those warnings went ignored.
The District Magistrate has ordered the Registrar to provide a full report on the hostel mess. Officials are specifically tracking the source and procurement of all food items, the official menu, and whether established hygiene protocols were followed in the kitchen.
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