Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student death, dodges resignation demand
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IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student death, dodges resignation demand
IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student death, dodges resignation demand
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died after struggling with mental health issues. The panel, headed by former…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died after struggling with mental health issues. The panel, headed by former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar, includes a psychiatrist from AIIMS Delhi and two student representatives, and must submit a report within two weeks.
However, students protesting on campus have rejected the committee as a routine and ineffective measure, alleging that similar panels are formed after every student suicide without addressing root causes. They have also criticised the institute's counselling system as a formality that often dismisses genuine distress. The protesters continue to demand the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans, and the Physics HOD, which the institute has not addressed.
Indian Opinion Analysis
IIT Delhi has seen at least eight student suicides in the last five years, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, each prompting similar committees and pledges to improve mental health support. The core demand of students, accountability from senior administrators, remains unmet, and the institute's plan to appoint an external ombudsperson only partially addresses it. Under the UGC's 2023 guidelines, all central universities and IITs are required to have a robust counselling mechanism and a Student Grievance Redressal Committee, but enforcement has been weak. The real test will be whether the committee's recommendations are implemented and whether the institute moves beyond offering financial aid to systemic change. The two-week deadline for the report ends around mid-August 2026.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
