IIT Roorkee's email blunder—'Dear Idli Chutney No Sambhar'—goes viral
What's the story
An unexpected email greeting from the administration of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2025 bring organized by IIT Roorkee has taken social media by storm.
The email, which was supposed to be a standard notification about admit cards, began with an unusual salutation: "Dear IDLI CHUTNEY NO SAMBHAR."
This incident came into the limelight when a Reddit user shared a screenshot of this peculiar email.
Email details
Reddit user shares screenshot of unusual email
The Reddit user who posted the screenshot of the email, couldn't believe their eyes and asked, "I got this official mail from GATE. Is this intentional? How can they make such a mistake?"
Besides its bizarre greeting, the email notified candidates that admit cards for GATE 2025 were now available for download on the GOAPS portal.
The surprise salutation left recipients bemused and amused.
Public response
Social media reacts to 'Idli chutney no sambhar' email
The unusual salutation soon became a laughing matter on social media, with users churning out memes and cracking jokes.
One Reddit user confirmed getting the same email, while another asked if it was some kind of joke.
A GATE aspirant told Hindustan Times that their North Indian friends received emails with correct names, but South Indian friends got the same 'Idli Chutney' greeting.
Official statement
IIT Roorkee acknowledges error in email greeting
In light of the widespread reaction, IIT Roorkee released a statement admitting the error.
The institute blamed this unusual salutation on a "technical glitch" during bulk mailing.
Sonika Srivastava, Media Cell In-charge at IIT Roorkee said that they acknowledge a technical glitch in incorrect email salutations received by few applicants during bulk mailing.