Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student death, protesters reject it
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IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student death, protesters reject it
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances around the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died earlier this week. The panel is headed by…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances around the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died earlier this week. The panel is headed by former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and includes AIIMS professor Pratap Sharma and two student representatives, with a report due in two weeks.
But students protesting on campus have rejected the committee, calling it a routine measure that fails to address systemic issues. They allege that genuine distress is often dismissed with basic advice like "just go rest" by the institute's counselling system. Protesters are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans, and the Physics HOD.
The institute said Kumar joined in July 2025, had a good academic record, but was advised parental supervision after mental health issues emerged in March 2026. He withdrew from two semesters with approval. IIT Delhi has also announced financial support for his family and plans to appoint an external ombudsperson and introduce a faculty-student mentoring system.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Student deaths by suicide at IITs have drawn scrutiny for years, prompting the IIT Council to mandate mental health policies in 2019. However, students often call these responses reactive, demanding systemic reform in academic pressure and counselling access. The core demand here, resignation of the Dean and others, signals a crisis of trust in grievance mechanisms. IIT Delhi's planned ombudsperson is a structural move, but the fate of this protest hinges on whether the external committee's report, due in two weeks, addresses accountability or is seen as another formality. The real pressure will come from sustained protest or a worsening of the standoff.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
