A major health scare unfolded at the University of Madras’s Kotturpuram campus on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, after more than a dozen assistant professors fell ill during a training session under the Naan Muthalvan scheme. The cause? Contaminated food — specifically, chickpeas reportedly containing a dead lizard.
The affected professors were attending the third day of the government-run training program aimed at preparing faculty to coach students for competitive examinations. Over a hundred assistant professors from government and private arts and science colleges had gathered for the event.
According to reports, the contaminated chickpeas were served during a meal. Shortly after consumption, more than ten professors began vomiting and collapsed on the premises. Emergency medical services were called immediately, and the ill were rushed to Saidapet Government General Hospital for treatment.
Eyewitnesses and participants claim the food appeared visibly unhygienic, and some alleged that the contaminants had fallen from a tree before being served. The situation quickly escalated, prompting protests by faculty members against the university’s lack of oversight in ensuring food safety during such official events.
More than a dozen ambulances were deployed to the campus in response to the incident. Hospital sources confirm that several of the professors are being treated for symptoms consistent with food poisoning.
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