A Reddit user’s post about a peculiar email from the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) administration has sparked a wave of laughter and memes on social media. The user, who goes by @No_Yogurt8713, shared a screenshot of the email, which featured an unusual greeting: “Dear idli chutney no sambhar.”

The email, informing candidates that their GATE 2025 admit cards were available for download, left many users scratching their heads. In the post, the user expressed confusion and asked, “Is this intentional? How can they make such a mistake?”

In response to the post, several users shared screenshots of similar emails they received with the same greeting highlighting the scale of the problem.

The strange greeting quickly caught the attention of social media users, leading to a flurry of humorous comments. One user said: “That’s right, I got the same thing. Some must have done something wrong,” while another joked: “Is this a joke?”

The confusion has sparked a meme frenzy, with users taking a creative spin on the email’s odd phrasing. One user humorously commented, “Hi. Idli chutney no sambhar, from Sarson da saag and makki di roti,” while another added, “I hope it’s orange chutney, otherwise it would be a total waste to stay- it’s stuck with white chutney and no sambhar.”

Another user jokingly asked the person to check if his name in the admit card was correct, “Bro admit card download kar or check kar k sambhar to nahi daala unhone.”

Some people thought that a recent email was sent in error, and one user speculated that it might have been due to an SQL injection attack on the GATE database. Others asked for the sender’s full email address to confirm authenticity. Despite the confusion, the email has amused many and has gone viral.

Responding to the uproar, IIT Roorkee, the organizing body of GATE 2025, issued a statement clarifying that the glitch was the result of a “technical error”. Sonika Srivastava, head of Media Cell at IIT Roorkee, said, “The issue was resolved immediately and emails with correct names were sent to these candidates. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is a national exam that assesses students’ knowledge in various subjects. Those who pass can continue their studies with master’s and doctoral programs or find work in public sector companies. The GATE 2025 exam will be conducted by IIT Roorkee on February 1, 2, 15 and 16 as a computer based test in eight examination zones.