Now Reading: IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student’s death, protests continue
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IIT Delhi forms probe panel after student’s death, protests continue
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died on campus recently. The committee will be headed by former Uttarakhand…
IIT Delhi has set up an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died on campus recently. The committee will be headed by former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and includes AIIMS psychiatrist Professor Pratap Sharma and two student representatives. It is to submit its report in two weeks.
However, protesting students have rejected the panel as a routine measure that does not address underlying issues, NDTV and Times Now report. They are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans, and the Physics HOD, and Rs 1 crore compensation for Kumar's family. The institute has offered financial support from its benevolent fund and plans to appoint an external ombudsperson and introduce a mentoring system for students needing parental support.
Kumar joined IIT Delhi in July 2025. The institute says he developed mental health issues in March 2026, was advised parental supervision, and had his semester withdrawals approved. His medical records were reviewed upon his return in July 2026.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times Now frames the story around the students' rejection of the panel and their unanswered demand for resignations, while NDTV's coverage is more neutral, reporting the panel formation and the demands separately. The institute's account of Kumar's mental health history and its support steps is present in both, but Times Now foregrounds the protesters' scepticism about the counselling system. The key tension is between institutional process and student trust. The committee's report, due in two weeks, will test whether the inquiry satisfies the protesters' call for accountability.
The tribunal hears the appeal on 12 September.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): timesnownews.com (government critical), ndtv.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (2) (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
