Now Reading: IIT Delhi Sets Up Probe Panel After Student Death, Protests Continue
-
01
IIT Delhi Sets Up Probe Panel After Student Death, Protests Continue
IIT Delhi has formed an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar. The committee, which must submit its report in two weeks, is headed by former…
IIT Delhi has formed an external inquiry committee to investigate the death of M.Sc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar. The committee, which must submit its report in two weeks, is headed by former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and includes AIIMS psychiatry department head Professor Pratap Sharma along with two student representatives.
Students protesting on campus have rejected the committee, calling such measures routine and ineffective. They allege that similar committees are announced after every student suicide but do not address underlying issues. Protesters have questioned the institute's counselling system, claiming genuine distress is dismissed with basic advice, and are demanding the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Deans and the Physics HOD.
The institute said Kumar joined in July 2025, developed mental health issues in March 2026 and was advised to stay under parental supervision. He withdrew from semesters and lived off campus. IIT Delhi has announced financial support for the family and plans to appoint an external ombudsperson and introduce a mentoring system.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Student suicides in Indian Institutes of Technology have repeatedly raised questions about academic pressure and mental health support. A 2023 parliamentary panel noted that IITs reported 38 student deaths by suicide between 2019 and 2022. The core demand for the resignation of the Dean of Student Affairs and others is a standard protest tactic to force institutional accountability. The key test now is whether the external committee's recommendations will be implemented within a fixed timeframe, and whether the planned ombudsperson will have independent authority to act on grievances that the internal system fails to resolve.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
