Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 7 (IANS): Non-vegetarian food in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Meerut will now be cooked in a separate mess and will be also served in a separate dining hall.

The decision was taken after 19 students, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, protested against serving chicken dishes to about 24 students from Maharashtra at the JNV mess.

These students are part of the "migration of students for national integration scheme".

Shashank Mani Tripathi, a senior faculty member, said, "As per the migration scheme, Class 9 students from one JNV of a particular linguistic region are sent to another JNV during the academic year to promote understanding of diversity and plurality of the country's culture and people. A group of JNV students from here went to JNV-Aurangabad, Maharashtra (a Marathi-speaking region) and 24 Class 9 students have arrived from there."

Chicken dish was cooked for students of JNV-Aurangabad and was served to them on Monday. Nineteen students of Class 10 raised objections and warned that they would resort to "hunger strike" if it continued, the teacher added.

Staff members at the mess thereafter informed school principal Dr Mahesh Kumar and vice-principal P.S. Chauhan. They promptly took up the matter and assured a solution.

School principal Dr Mahesh Kumar said, "A chicken dish was being served to 24 students of JNV-Aurangabad at the mess once a month on their request as per the stated guidelines. Some students raised objections to this. So, the dish will be served in a separate dining hall now."

Officials further said the school administration plans to get cooked chicken from a 'dhaba' and then serve students to avoid a repeat of such a situation.