Succour for the body and the mind is a rarity for students in Patna, as most colleges do not have a canteen.

The college canteens, claim scholars, are as much a part of one’s academic career as the library or laboratory. It is not only a source of snacks and refreshment but also the site for intellectual discussions and exchange of ideas.

Suman Kumar, an associate professor of Rajdhani College, New Delhi, said canteens are the liveliest places in Delhi University (DU). “It is an important part of the university culture. Debates and discussions among students and teachers take place here. Youths meet each other and fall in love in canteens,” he added.

Recalling his student days, Suman said: “I completed my graduation from Ramjas College of DU in 1992. Even then, the canteen used to serve 12-14 food items.”

But students at BN College, Patna College, Vanijya Mahavidyalaya and Darbhanga House (from where several postgraduate departments function) are deprived of these pleasures. They either skip their meals or depend on unhygienic roadside stalls for a quick grub between classes.

Praveen Kumar, a BSc Part II student of BN College, said: “I live in a rented place. So, I don’t get a lunch box to college. If I want food, I have to skip class as our college does not have a canteen.”

He added: “As I have a limited budget, I cannot afford a good restaurant. So I have to settle for unhygienic food.”

Praveen’s counterparts at Patna College face similar problems. “The roadside stalls don’t serve hygienic food. But we have no option when we are hungry and have to go there to have refreshments,” said Dhiraj Kumar, a BA Part II student of the college.

Lack of food is not the only problem.

Dhiraj said: “We spend long hours at the college as we have honours classes followed by subsidiary courses. At times, we have a large interval between the classes. We have no place to hang out with our friends as there is no canteen on our campus.”

The college authorities, however, do not seem too eager to provide the facility.

Patna College principal Lal Keshwar Prasad Singh first refused to comment on the subject. After being asked a number of times, he told The Telegraph: “I am very stressed right now. Call me later.”

Other institutions cited the lack of infrastructure as a reason for not providing a canteen to students.

Vanijya Mahavidyalaya principal Umesh Mishra said: “Our college does not have a building of its own. How can we have a canteen on a rented property?”

Maintenance of canteens is not a Herculean task. For instance, Rajdhani College students have to contribute Re 1 each year to the canteen fund. “The money gathered is used to maintain the canteen,” said Suman, the New Delhi college teacher.

If undergraduate students suffer because of the lack of food facilities, their seniors at Darbhanga House are no better.

Amit Sinha, a student of applied economics and commerce at Patna University, said: “Fifteen postgraduate departments of Patna University have classes at Darbhanga House. But there is no canteen. Students often have to skip lunch, as there are no eateries in the neighbourhood. They have to travel a long distance to get food and miss classes as a result.”

His fellow student from the history department, Jayshree, said: “The three tea stalls near Darbhanga House are our saviours. When we are hungry, we have tea.”

Patna University vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh said: “Darbhanga House does not have a canteen because of law and order problems. You will often find youths, who are not even students, loitering on the campus. They often create problems. So the university is deprived of many facilities like canteens.”

Having a canteen, however, is not a solution to all problems, as students of Magadh Mahila College have found out. The only eatery on the college campus is a cramped room with a tin roof. There are 20 plastic chairs and students have to wait for their turn as in a game of musical chairs.

Even after grabbing a seat, there is no guarantee of service. “My last experience at the college canteen was horrible,” said Ankita Bharadwaj, a BA Part II student. “My friends and I had ordered soft drinks. But when our order was served, we found insects in a bottle.”

Not everyone, however, is deprived of canteens in Patna. Most students of Patna Women’s College are happy with the facility for food at their institution.

“Our college has a proper canteen with all the facilities. We can choose from a number of light refreshments such as chaat, samosa, chola bhatura, egg roll, vegetable roll, chowmein and pastries among other food items,” said Anjali Kumari, a BA Part II student.

Scholars spend their free time at the canteen, exchanging anecdotes or pleasantries. Some of them even pick and choose their food according to their dietary preference.

“Some of the food served at our canteen is a little greasy. So I am careful about what I eat,” said Deepti Anand, a Part III BA student.