The course will be introduced in this academic session in three Institutes of Hotel Management -Gandhinagar, Jaipur and Bhopal.“We received positive feedback from stakeholders of the hospitality industry .This prompted us to introduce the course from this year itself on a pilot basis,“ secretary Vinod Zutshi said.

The course will be extended to other IHMs next year. Officials said IHMs were equipped with infrastructure, like separate kitchens, and some monetary aid would be given to ensure that new facilities were in place.

However, those in the hospitality industry are divided on usefulness of such a course with some opining that it would restrict employability of the candidate.

Incidentally , close on the heels of the ban on cow slaughter and beef exports by several states, then textiles minister Santosh Gangwar had written to HRD and tourism ministries in June last year asking for non-vegetarian courses to be made optional. His letter argued that students from Jain, Brahmin and Vaishya communities could not pursue the course because of the compulsory component of cooking non-vegetarian food.

An online petition that has got over 3,900 signatures argued that learning to prepare non-vegetarian food was compulsory in hotel management degree courses. “ If separate degree or option is created, students who are joining the present mixed (veg and non-veg) courses shall be indirectly prevented from eating or becoming non-vegetarian against the wishes of their own, family and religion,“ the petition said.