'Idli chutney no sambhar': IIT-Roorkee blames ‘technical glitch’ for bizarre GATE email greeting
A bizarre email purportedly from GATE, containing a strange greeting, sparked a flurry of memes and humorous reactions online.
A user took to Reddit and shared a screenshot of an unusual email that he claimed to have received from the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) administration. The post quickly went viral, triggering a flurry of memes and humorous responses on social media.
The user, baffled by the content of the email, captioned his post, “I got this official mail from GATE. Is this intentional? How can they make such a mistake?” The screenshot attached to the post contained a strange and out-of-place greeting that read: “Dear idli chutney no sambhar,” followed by the message, “GATE 2025 Admit Cards are now available to download from the GOAPS portal.”
The email seemed to be a mistake, with an odd combination of words that made little sense in context.
The bizarre message quickly went viral, with users expressing confusion and amusement. One user responded, “He's true, I received the same. Some must have done something messed up.” Another user commented, “Is this some joke?”
Take a look at the post:
Speaking to HT.com, a GATE aspirant, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I have checked with my other North Indian friends. They have gotten their proper name. However, my South Indian friends received the same greetings. This was hard to believe as IIT is considered the most prestigious engineering college in India, reducing my identity to idli and chutney.”
The mix-up has sparked widespread humour, with social media users turning the error into a meme sensation. Many joked about the email’s odd phrasing and questioned how such a mistake could occur in an official communication from a prominent examination body.
A user wrote, “Hello. Idli chutney no sambhar, from Sarson da saag and makki di roti.”
A user quipped, “I hope it's orange chutney otherwise it would be an utter waste to be stuck with white chutney and no sambhar”
Another added, “Unpaid intern at it.”
A user committed, “That intern should get a raise at IT cell.”
IIT Roorkee issues statement
After the post went viral, IIT-Roorkee issued a statement saying the error was caused by a “technical glitch” and candidates were later sent emails with correct names.
“IIT Roorkee, organizing GATE 2025, acknowledges a technical glitch in incorrect email salutations received by a few applicants while bulk mailing. The issue was resolved immediately and emails with correct names were sent to these candidates. We regret the inconvenience caused,” said Sonika Srivastava, Media Cell in-charge at IIT Roorkee.