Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms panel over MSc student death, protesters demand resignations
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IIT Delhi forms panel over MSc student death, protesters demand resignations
IIT Delhi forms panel over MSc student death, protesters demand resignations
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee into the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, but student protesters have rejected the panel as a routine step that will not…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee into the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, but student protesters have rejected the panel as a routine step that will not fix systemic problems. The students are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans, and the Physics Head of Department, demands the institute has not addressed in its communications so far.
The three-member committee, which will report in two weeks, is headed by Ashok Kumar, former Uttarakhand DGP and IIT Delhi alumnus, and includes AIIMS psychiatrist Professor Pratap Sharma along with two student representatives. The institute said Kumar joined in July 2025, had a good first semester, but developed mental health issues in March 2026 and was advised to stay under parental supervision. He withdrew from the second and third semesters and lived off-campus with a parent before returning in July 2026, when a counsellor again advised parental supervision.
IIT Delhi has announced reimbursement of Kumar's medical expenses, financial help from its benevolent fund, a voluntary faculty-student contribution fund, and plans to appoint an external ombudsperson for unresolved grievances. It will also introduce a mentoring system for students needing parental support. The protest on campus continues.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Student suicides at IITs have been a recurring concern, with at least 25 reported across the system between 2019 and 2024, according to data tabled in Parliament. Most internal panels have faced scepticism from students who argue they lack independence and produce no change. The key pressure point here is the demand for the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, a post that controls hostel and campus life rules. The administration has not yielded on that front. The external committee, which includes a former police chief, will report within two weeks, and its recommendations, along with the promised ombudsperson, will signal whether the institute moves beyond what students call a pattern of ritual inquiries that leave underlying conditions untouched.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
