Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after student death, protesters demand resignations
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IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after student death, protesters demand resignations
IIT Delhi forms inquiry panel after student death, protesters demand resignations
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died on campus. The committee will be headed by Ashok Kumar, former…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died on campus. The committee will be headed by Ashok Kumar, former Uttarakhand DGP and IIT Delhi alumnus, and includes AIIMS psychiatry department head Professor Pratap Sharma and two student representatives. The institute has asked the panel to submit its report within two weeks.
Protesting students have rejected the committee, calling such measures routine and ineffective. They are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans, and the Physics HOD, which the institute has not addressed. Students also criticised the counselling system, alleging distress is sometimes dismissed with advice such as 'just go rest'.
The institute said Kumar joined IIT Delhi in July 2025 and had a good first semester. In March 2026, he developed mental health issues and was advised to remain under parental supervision. His requests to withdraw from the second and third semesters were approved. IIT Delhi has announced financial support for his family and plans to appoint an external ombudsperson for student grievances.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Student suicides at IITs have prompted multiple committees over the past decade, but systemic reforms remain slow. Under UGC guidelines, institutions must have a mental health policy and a grievance redress mechanism. IIT Delhi's plan to appoint an external ombudsperson is a new step, but the key test is whether the panel's recommendations are implemented within a fixed timeline. The students' demand for resignation of top administrators signals a trust deficit that a two-week inquiry alone may not resolve. The institute's next move, whether it accepts the panel's report and acts on the call for resignations, will determine if the protest subsides or escalates.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
