Smart Meal Management System

Project Overview This project is a comprehensive digital solution designed to modernize the manual meal management process in university halls. It replaces paper-based tracking with a transparent, cashless, and data-driven ecosystem. The system orchestrates interactions between three distinct user roles: Students, Kitchen Staff, and Hall Administrators.

Key Features

• Role-Based Dashboards: Distinct interfaces for Students (meal management), Staff (daily cooking counts), and Admins (users & finance).

• Digital Wallet System: A cashless environment where students recharge balances and the system automatically deducts costs based on meal status.

• Automated Meal Counting: Real-time statistics on meal ON/OFF status to help kitchen staff estimate food quantities and reduce waste.

• Secure Authentication: Robust JWT-based authentication with httpOnly cookies and an admin-approval workflow for new accounts.

• Profile Management: Students can manage their profiles, including ID cards and photos.

Technical Architecture & DevOps The system is built with a Microservices-ready architecture using Docker.

• Frontend: Next.js (App Router) with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS for a responsive, modern UI.

• Backend: Python Django & Django REST Framework (DRF) for a robust API.

• Database: PostgreSQL for reliable relational data storage.

• Deployment: Fully containerized using Docker & Docker Compose. The application is deployed on a DigitalOcean Droplet using a dual-Nginx reverse proxy setup to run alongside other projects.

• CI/CD: Automated testing and deployment pipeline using GitHub Actions.