# Congress alleges Centre hid IIT suicide data on SC/ST/OBC students 2026-09-22T18:57:28+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Congress has accused the Modi government of withholding data on student suicides at IITs, alleging that over half the 53 deaths in the last five years were of students from SC, ST and OBC communities. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the education ministry gave a vague answer to his parliamentary question in December 2025, even though an under secretary had written to the IITs seeking the data a week earlier. Venugopal linked the issue to the death of Sahil Wakode, a Dalit IIT-Bombay student found hanging on September 18. The institute has removed dean Suryanarayana Doolla after a case of abetment and caste discrimination was registered. Sahil's parents said he faced casteist slurs. The Congress has demanded the government release the data and outline measures for students from marginalised communities at IITs. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three outlets report the Congress allegation identically: that the education ministry withheld IIT suicide data showing over half the victims were from SC/ST/OBC backgrounds. The Hindu and Siasat each attribute Venugopal's charge that the regime lies about discrimination, Times Now adds context on Sahil Wakode's death and the dean's removal. The coverage is uniform straight-news reporting with no discernible slant. The key fact not in dispute is that the ministry wrote to IITs on 1 December but that data was excluded from its parliamentary reply. The opposition has demanded a response, no government rebuttal has been reported yet. ## Coverage - thehindu.com (neutral report) Leads with Congress's allegation and attributes Venugopal's claims without adding independent verification or government response - siasat.com (neutral report) Reports allegation verbatim with PTI-sourced details on Wakode case and IIT action, no government rebuttal included - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Carries the accusation as lead with added background on the student death and police investigation, no government defence Tags: Congress, IIT Bombay, K.C. Venugopal, Ministry of Education, Sahil Wakode Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/congress-accuses-centre-of-hiding-iit-suicide-data/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/congress-accuses-centre-of-hiding-iit-suicide-data/#story-in-brief