Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after MSc student’s death, protests continue
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IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after MSc student’s death, protests continue
IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after MSc student’s death, protests continue
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee after the death of second-year M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, but protesting students have rejected the panel as a routine response that fails…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee after the death of second-year M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, but protesting students have rejected the panel as a routine response that fails to address systemic issues. They are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans and the Physics HOD.
The institute said Kumar returned to campus in July 2026 after a semester away under parental supervision for mental health issues, and was again advised to stay with a parent. His withdrawal from the third semester was approved. The external committee, headed by former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and including an AIIMS Delhi psychiatrist, must submit a report in two weeks.
IIT Delhi has also announced financial support for the family, a new ombudsperson for unresolved student grievances, and a mentoring system. The protest continues on campus.
Indian Opinion Analysis
IIT Delhi has had previous student deaths by suicide, most notably in 2022 and 2023, prompting similar promises of reform. The central question is whether this external committee, headed by a former police chief, will produce actionable changes or join earlier reports. Student bodies at multiple IITs have long demanded that hostel and academic pressure be addressed structurally, not case by case. The mental health framework at IITs, mandated by the UGC after the 2023 NIRF rankings controversy, requires each institute to have a counselling centre with a psychiatrist and a mentor system. If the committee recommends a binding ombudsperson with powers over the dean's office, it would be a first among IITs. The next date to watch is 14 days from the announcement, when the panel must file its report.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
