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Thursday, May 14, 2015

IIT BOMBAY LOCKS UP TERRACES AFTER SUICIDE - Mumbai Mirror


By Arita Sarkar, Mumbai Mirror | May 13, 2015, 12.00 AM IST

Not fair, say students, as terraces provide much-needed room for relaxation.

Following the suicide of the third year chemical engineering student, IIT Bombay's administration has decided to lock up the terraces for safety reasons. IIT Bombay director Devang Khakker has also constituted a high level committee to introspect on the suicide and give feedback and suggestions. 

Among the favourite hangout spots on campus, the terrace atop the hostel buildings is the getaway haven for the students who wish to unwind, especially in the evenings. 

"I usually make a trip to the terrace almost every day after snack to relax," said a resident of Hostel 11. "Sometimes I read a book or listen to music and chat with a few friends. It's that informal space for casual conversations that is important to every hostel resident." Shutting the terraces, the student said, was not the solution. "Locking the terraces won't solve anything. People always work around restrictions. Without terraces, the hostels only become more claustrophobic," she said. 

The hostel terrace has an emotional connect for a lot of students. Uddipta Chatterjee, a senior PhD student, said: "I proposed to my girlfriend on the terrace. Other students have their first cigarette or meet their first best friends on the terrace. Locking that space away cannot be the solution; instead, the roots of the problem need to be addressed." He added that several students living on the top floor of the hostels often sleep on the terrace at night. 

"The terraces will be kept locked for good," said IIT Bombay spokesperson Rashmi Uday Kumar. "Some of the doors may need locks to be fixed, and the work is in progress." 

Another member of the administration said that all hostel wardens have been instructed to keep a close watch on the terraces and ensure that they stay locked at all times. 

Sources stated that the high level committee which was appointed last week to probe into the suicide comprises the head of the chemical engineering department, senior hostel authorities, and a senior professor. The committee will give their suggestions to Khakker about measures to avoid student suicides. 

Death on campus 

On May 4, third year chemical engineering student0 Jitesh Sharma, 21, committed suicide on the terrace of a hostel by consuming a poisonous chemical called sodium azide. He left a suicide note that said he was under depression caused by academic pressure. 


Less than a year before that, fourth year electrical engineering student Aniket Ambhore, who was also suffering from depression, fell to his death from the sixth floor of one of the hostels.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Unsuccessful IIT aspirant seeks Suicide approval on Quora - HANS India

May 11,2015, 11.29 AM  IST | | Agencies


New Delhi: An IIT aspirant, who could not secure the cut-off marks, posted on Quora, a question and answer website, whether suicide is an option for him as he couldn’t tell about his score to his father. A plenty of anonymous replies poured in, dissuading him from the idea, proving that the virtual world can actually yield inspiring options in an age of online stalking and bullying.

The anonymous ‘dropper’ said that he got only 111 out of 360 in JEE (Advanced). He wrote that he didn’t have the guts to tell this result to his father. “I screw up questions which I used to solve earlier. What should I do now? Is suicide an option?” he wrote.

Instantly, Kent Pawar, Abhijit Singh Mandloi, Tamal Biswas, Ankit Singh Bhaduria, Aditya Kamal, Pulin Agarwal and many more anonymous users on Quora, who may not know each other, but bound by similar experiences of ‘failure’, jumped to his rescue.

Computer Science engineer Aditya Kamal came up with a humourous answer, “Attempts for suicide have no age limit? So, why the hurry? And then, the usual procedure of cremation, bhoj etc costs quite a lot of money. So, the idea is not financially very good,” he wrote undersigning as ‘Jee and Aieee failed, still living’.

Monday, May 11, 2015

When An IIT Aspirant Who Did Not Make The Cut-Off Asked If Suicide Is An Option, Strangers On Quora Had The Most Amazing Answers - Huffington Post

HuffPost India  |  By Rituparna Chatterjee
Posted: 10/05/2015 14:23 IST 

You constantly hear about the worst forms of abuse on the Internet — rape and death threats, victim bashing, bullying and misogyny — from anonymous trolls. Anonymity and the cover it offers abusers is thought as one of the main deterrent to online debate where opinions are jealously defended and a counterview is attacked.

But when an anonymous user posted a desolate message on Quora saying he is afraid to inform his dad about his poor marks in an entrance exam and is contemplating suicide, a bunch of complete strangers, some anonymous, rallied around fantastically to guide and comfort him.
Some of the advice this user received was pure gold.

This was the OP's message.



To which comments kept pouring in.

And this.


This user who's been there.

Then this anon who is an inspiration to all.
Hi Dude,
Let me tell you my story!
I had been a good student among the toppers during school days till 8th. I entered the 9th standard, life seemed tougher, had a few friends leave school and had a tough time with the assholes in the class. I managed somehow to clear my 10th exams with 64%.
During the 12th exams, I studied till 12 at night got up at 3am with the help of a neighbor friend, whose mom used to wake him up at 3am and so I slept at this place to get up early. My family didn't realize that I needed a peaceful place to study. I studied in the kitchen hearing sounds of tv serials, cricket match and family discussions, making it hard to focus my mind. All this hard work and I fell ill during the board exams. I somehow managed to give both the Maths exams which were at the end. And just managed the passing marks. In the CET entrance I scored a good 140/200 but had only 49.3% in the PCM group, throwing me out of the engineering race. I had to tell my father, despite his huge hopes on me. He took it well!
I joined the Page on b.sc(Computer Science) course. Due to my low percentage, my father had to pay extra to get me the admission through management quota to get into college. It was a shame for me, because my father had worked really hard and could barely manage the family expenses. The fact that he had to get me admission that way, hurt me bad. Made me angry on self, I had to put the anger at the right place by working harder. The sad story continued, I found it hard to make some good friends at college, despite a good personality and decent sense of humor. The people just didn't fit my criteria of good friendship, even though I made good bulks of friends, had nothing as a close friend. Worked hard, really hard! Studied at a local library, or on the terrace also on the terrace steps, it felt more homely. Most of the times at night, in the kitchen, with health issues like severe acidity and backpain by staying up late. A good gift, I had gotten was a USB HP MP3 Player 256MB, from a cousin, which gave me the pleasure of listening to music while I studied, Music worked as a medium to cut down noise from the outer sources, since then. I hardly, remember studying without my earphones on. (Even though the player broke down, I keep it as a memory, with the earphones :P)
What was the result of all this? I failed. And it broke me like something, didn't come out of my room entire day of the result and didn't wanted to come out for a long duration, I felt the same way you must be feeling, should I end it and how would I tell Dad. It was unbearable and whatever I had dream't of myself, all felt in vain. When my dad was back home, he saw the report card. After a hefty day of work, he managed the patience to talk to me. He just told me a few words "You failed, but your limbs, still exist. Your brain is the same, you can choose to work with me in the business, give your efforts there, change your stream, go for Commerce and make it easier for yourself, You shouldn't punish yourself with something stupid, like even staying quiet", he added this gem of a line, which supports me everyday "No situation is bigger, than you, you are bigger than every situation, situations just make you realize this, you will know when you get through the end of this journey".
As we grow older, our parents do too. They too learn parenthood day-in and day-out. If you can't realize this and would just be in the fear of him being angry on you. Imagine the fear he would have to send you on your first day to school or your first cycle ride or a motorcycle ride. Once you grow up, its your responsibility too, to show them the right thing, if you are certain that they might take it wrong.
With torments of a lot of people. Friends that I had to leave behind. Seeing the decline of myself in front of my eyes everyday. And depression at a young age. I didn't chose to change the stream, instead, I went on with what I had chosen for myself my Page on b.sc(Computer Science) degree. I had been alone at home for 6months till I could give the first attempt to clear the subjects I had flunked in, C2, M1, M2, M3, E2. I checked what was wrong in me, and I found that I had too much of exam fear, I had good deal (I should say excellent, because I have tutored friends who were among the toppers in a few subjects) of understanding of all the subjects but just couldn't put it on the exam sheets. I worked on this day in day out, alone without support(I have been shy always of letting my feelings to my parents or even friends. So never shared much really!). Cleared 4 subjects and was left out on C2 which happened to be on the day of my birthday and I suffered from Flu which left me in bed for 3 days.
Those days were the worst days that I have seen till date. A 17 Yr old alone at home, afraid of meeting people because he would hear torments. I chose to join a BPO, worked there for 3 months, made friends had some time working well, had 500 outbound calls a day, it was frustrating, because out of all those calls only 50 would be answered and 49 would hang up, before you say a word. But that gave me peace in a way. I was making sense to myself and learning the world better. Those experiences of the BPO even help me today. Then came the date for the second attempt to clear the remaining subject. I cleared it scored a good near distinction figure.
Rejoined college had distinction throughout, went on with my Page on m.sc degree, hadn't been great here just managed to clear it through with a aggregate 60% that too due to good performance in the last semester. The gem in all this, and this was my triumph, I was the first one to get through the campus despite just meeting the criteria of the company that I was chosen for(It is one of the best startups in India), this was a day all the pain had gone away, like me coming out of a COMA. I just remember the happiness on my dad's face when I told him, I had got the job. I had been given a perk and congratulated by the HR "Welcome to XYZ". Those were 8 hard hours and a competition between 300 odd students. I was among the 3 who got selected and was the first one to be handed the offer letter. I had been paid handsomely, giving the ability to support my family.
All my life I had dream't of this. So, the dream that had gone to vain when I failed, reincarnated this day.
Let me tell you another twist, A few days back I lost my job in the current company. I am the one who takes care of the family completely now. With responsibility of 5 people on my shoulders. But those words by my dad still make me forget the pain and make me work hard. "No situation is bigger, than you, you are bigger than every situation, situations just make you realize this, you will know when you get through the end of this journey". I had told him even this time and another gem came from him, "You did it once, you will do it again. There's no point in me being tensed, because you know the importance of responsibilities and you must have it in a higher degree.I
I know I would make it through even this time. Even if I don't I wouldn't choose to commit suicide. Why? I have seen a father lose a kid, it was my friend who died. I saw his father lifting his dead body and not shedding a tear till my friend's uncle arrived. In fact, he consoled the rest of the people crying, saying "It happens". That father was a handicap and this was his eldest son to support him. The worst misery anyone can face is seeing his child die. If you are not one of those selfish people who doesn't care about his family and chose to die, think again your 1, 2 or 3yrs of hard work might have failed you, but if you chose to commit suicide, you fail their 23-24 years of unselfish hard work of your parents.
Wish you luck dude and hope you make it through with great colors!


You said it, Tamal.

This believer of gallows humour with his heart in the right place.

This winning answer.

And some sound advice from Pulin Agarwal.
Hii, i don't know you who you are and what made you think this but if you are reading this then I can assure you that you will find your answers soon.
1) What first of all I want to ask you is do you really like technology and want to understand what it can do or just following the sheep. If your answer is no then there is no point of giving your life for something you never wanted and putting everyone else in guilt after you. But if your answer is yes then don't you think this decision of your's would take you so far form your passion that you would never be able to follow what you always wanted to do.
2) I'm assuming that you already have dropped the idea of giving up and now your dad also be knowing about all this thing but still if it isn't true then don't worry and go ahead. Tell him and promise him that you will never think about dying again and will give your 100%. Trust me you are getting a big hug after that. :) :)
3) Now getting into an IIT is a good thing but I would not say its the best thing which can happen to an engineering aspirant. What IITs offer you is good infrastructure and some experienced teachers but not necessarily the motivated ones who can channelize that zeal into you. If you really want to explore the beauty of the course then don't just run away. Either stand straight for the next year or join some decent college and start learning things. Every day then you will get some new experience and a new idea will pop out of your mind. Remember those ideas and try to implement them. never think you lack resources because today the greatest resource in the Internet and the process of finding the solution will make you learn more.
4) Now since you were brave enough to join the battle and doing it the real way then let me tell you something IITs are not IITs because of something magical in them. But the people who work day and night over there make them IITs. So all you need to do is to let the fire of passion inside you burning and take maximum opportunities from the place you are. Good companies don't bother if you are from IIT or IIN (pun intended) they only look for skills.
5) Now four years are completed and you are having a hell lot of options apart form campus placements and if you really want to explore more MS is for you. They will let you follow your dream project and let you do things your way. You can join your beloved IITs or something even better IISC for MTech or if you opted for MS then as a Astt. Professor after you complete your PhD.
6) Entrepreneurship is also an option where you can follow what you want to do in life and can even employ IITians. :P :P (Nothing against anyone).
Finally what I want to say is there are a lot of ways of doing things and failure is not something which is killing you dreams but once you give up you are the one who is actually killing them.
Best of Luck


There anon, you've got your answer.
(The date when this was posted could not be confirmed. The cut-off score for eligibility for JEE (Advanced) is 105 out of 360 this year.)

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Sunday, May 10, 2015

Foul play ruled out in IIT student’s death - Asian Age


May 10, 2015 | Age CorrespondentMumbai

The police has concluded in its investigation that the 21-year-old IIT-Bombay student found dead on the terrace of a campus hostel recently, committed suicide. It has ruled out foul play after statements of his family members, batch mates, friends and some of the institute’s faculty members did not indicate any conspiracy. All claims converged on the fact that the deceased suffered from depression and was feeling academic pressure.
Jitesh Sharma, from Rohtak in Haryana, who was a third-year chemical engineering student, was found dead on the terrace of hostel 15-B around 7 pm on May 2 on the campus premises along with a bottle of ‘sodium azide’ besides his body, which has now been sent for forensic and chemical analysis at the State Forensic Sciences Laboratory at Kalina. A suicide note written by him read, “I should not have been into this field. I did a mistake by passing JE exam. I have now learnt to be away from my parents (sic).”

While the Powai police is awaiting the forensic analysis’ findings, statements of people close to Jitesh said he had been depressed and was unhappy over his choice of course. “His parents also said that he had already been diagnosed with depression and had been undergoing psychiatric counselling for the last one year. His course mates stated he had become a recluse after failing to clear some of his exams. The counsellor at the institute had also been treating him for depression and corroborated the same to us,” said a police officer.

IIT-B suicide: Cops record statements of youth's kin - DNA

Sunday, 10 May 2015 - 6:05am IST | Agency: dna 
dna Correspondent

The Powai police investigating the alleged suicide case of a 21-year-old student of IIT-B, who died on May 2, have recorded statements of parents, friends and faculty heads of the institute.

The Powai police investigating the alleged suicide case of a 21-year-old student of IIT-B, who died on May 2, have recorded statements of parents, friends and faculty heads of the institute.
According to the police, during the course of the investigation, they came to know that the deceased, Jitesh Sharma, has been suffering from depression. Officers said the statements given by Sharma's parents have corroborated their findings.

"They have told us that their son had a history of depression and was under medication," said Yadavrao Jadhav, senior inspector of Powai police station.

Sharma, a third-year chemical engineering student who hailed from Rohtak in Haryana, was found dead on the terrace of the hostel in the IIT campus. He was said to under depression because of the course he had chosen, which he apparently was not happy with.

Jadhav said, "We have sent samples, including the bottle of sodium azide found near his body, to the Kalina forensic lab and are awaiting reports. The suicide note that Sharma left also indicated that he was tensed about his course."


IIT-Bombay student suicide: Statement of parents, friends recorded - The Hindu

MUMBAI, May 9, 2015
Updated: May 9, 2015 17:06 IST


Police have recorded statements of parents, friends and faculty heads of the 21-year-old student of IIT-Bombay, who had allegedly committed suicide on May 2.

“We have completed all the formalities related to the investigation. On the basis of statements recorded, we can say the deceased committed suicide as he showed sufficient signs of depression,” an investigation officer of Powai police station said.

Jitesh Sharma, who hailed from Rohtak in Haryana, a third-year chemical engineering student, was found dead on the terrace of the hostel in campus premises of the IIT, in Powai area, and was apparently depressed with the choice of his academic course.

All samples, including bottle of poisonous substance sodium azide which was found near the body, have been sent to forensic lab in suburban Kalina, the police official said.
“It may take two to three weeks for the report to come,” he added.

The official said that the deceased’s parents revealed that their son had a history of depression and was undergoing treatment for last one year.

“He could not clear few of his exams in last one year and had confined himself. He had become extremely introvert,” he said, adding, Sharma had written a suicide note in both Hindi and English that indicated he was under depression.

“I should not have been into this field. I did a mistake by passing JE exam. I have now learnt to be away from my parents (sic),” the officer said, quoting the suicide note.


Keywords: IIT Bombay student suicide case

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Suicide spree: IIT-Kharagpur to get professional counsellors - Indian Express


The recent spate of suicide incidents taking place inside the campus of IIT- Kharagpur has forced the authorities to involve professional counsellors to help students cope up with stress.

Written by Shiv Sahay Singh | Kolkata | Published on:July 17, 2009 3:58 am

The recent spate of suicide incidents taking place inside the campus of IIT- Kharagpur has forced the authorities to involve professional counsellors to help students cope up with stress.
“The counselling centre has a broader objective. It will not only look after the academic side but will see whether the students are suffering from any personal stress,” said D Gunasekaran, Registrar IIT-Kharagpur.

Gunasekaran said that apart from the faculty members who will counsel the students,professional counsellors would be hired to help the students de-stress. The institute has already placed an advertisement for hiring professional counselors but before it finalises on it,the faculty members will serve as counsellors.
Institute officials say all the suicide incidents are not related to academic stress as there are a number of cases where the students took the extreme step because of personal problems.

According to faculty members,students join the institute at a very young age — 18 and 19 years old — and thus they suffer from home sickness. “So it is necessary for the institute to ensure that students do not feel isolated,” they said.

They added that the previous concept of faculty members as counsellor has not worked and hence it was decided to hire a professional counsellor.

Experts say that those who join the IITs have to go through tough competition and are prone to depression and stress even if they face slight rejection or failure. “The students do not have an aptitude for a job but they are keen to get it only because of peer pressure. The students sometimes suffer from rejection factor when they fail to qualify the interview,” said Prof B K Mathur,a professor of physics and the placement head of the institute.

Mathur added the counsellors will also help the student choose the right kind of job.

“The counselling centre can help a student who has an inclination towards core sciences take a job in that discipline rather than going for software since his peers have done so,” said Mathur.
The institute houses around 8,000 students in its campus that is spread over 2,100 acres.

3 and counting… 

April 23: K Ramananda Rao
a fourth-year chemical engineering student committed suicide. According to fellow students,he was not doing well in academics.

June 15: Manoj Kumar,a first-year student,committed suicide. The dead body was recovered a few days after he committed suicide as most of the students were away on vacation.


July 15: Yogendra Kumar Singh,a student who secured 400 rank in this years IIT entrance test,committed suicide. According to reports,he was keen on joining some other institute.

IIT-B’s advisory to parents may be ‘net’ loss for students - Indian Express



IIT Bombay,stating that students tend to get distracted by excessive gaming or internet browsing,has written to parents

Written by Mihika Basu | Mumbai | Published on:July 16, 2013 1:01 am

IIT Bombay,stating that students tend to get distracted by excessive gaming or internet browsing,has written to parents of those who will join the institute this year,advising them not to provide their children with computers for the first semester.

“It has been observed that students with laptops/computers in their first semester are distracted by excessive gaming/internet and don’t experience all that the institute has to offer. We would,therefore,suggest against providing your wards with laptops for the first semester,since computer facilities for academic needs are adequately available in the institute. However,in case you feel that he will be able to learn better with a laptop/computer at his disposal,we leave it to your discretion,” says the letter.

“It is an advisory arrived at in consultation with student representatives,” said Prof Urjit Yajnik,dean of student affairs at IIT Bombay.

The letter also cautions parents against putting undue pressure on their wards to get good grades. “Students who enter this institute every year are some of the best brains in the country. Due to the competitive environment here,we have often experienced cases where students,who until then had always topped their class,found it difficult to get grades that meet their expectations. This has often led to one of two extremes: some students face excessive parental pressure,while others simply adopt an indifferent attitude,which further reduces their academic performance,” it says,adding “we hope that you would encourage your ward to put his/her best foot forward,treat the best effort from his/her side as the objective,rather than the results”.

The letter covers various aspects,including academic and hostel life,financial help and details of the institute student mentor programme for first-year students. While the letter says transition from a caring home life to the competitive environment of IIT could “occasionally cause adjustment problems” initially and that sometimes social,cultural and language differences could delay the settling process,it also assures parents that mentors help freshmen have a smooth transition.

“Ragging in any form is strictly banned on the campus. Strict penalties are in place,and mentors are always available to resolve any situations promptly. Rest assured,ragging has all but vanished from IIT Bombay. It is,however,expected that freshmen develop a healthy rapport with seniors… In fact,a healthy senior-junior interaction has been the hallmark of this institute,” says the letter.

It says that students can fit in both academics and extra-curricular activities without much stress at IIT Bombay,but proper time management is a must to ensure studies are not neglected. The letters says that the purpose of sharing various issues is to make parents aware of the academic and extra-curricular life of students. “As parents,you need not be alarmed,but mental preparation and precautionary measures would definitely help,” it concludes.


mihika.basu@expressindia.com

IIT-B starts ‘mentorship’ programme to help freshers settle in - Indian Express


Through SMP, the institute will get feedback from students, faculty and officials on a regular basis to make campus life comfortable

Written by Dipti Singh | Mumbai | 
Updated: June 23, 2014 1:36 am

In a bid to guide freshers and discourage ragging, senior students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) have started a forum and a mentorship programme wherein seniors will help freshers settle into the institute and solve their problems while on campus.

According to some seniors, the initiative is also aimed at keeping track of disturbed and distressed freshers and stop them from taking extreme steps owing to academic pressure.
Elaborating on the initiative, Shrey Singh, a fourth-year student of the metallurgy department who is also a part of this Students Mentorship Programme (SMP), said the initiative will prove to be very useful to both freshers and seniors.

“According to the students of IIT-B, one of the biggest dilemmas they have faced in their lives is what branch and which IIT they should choose after clearing the JEE. Students generally blindly follow status quo and choose a branch based on unreliable information or even worse, on their JEE ranks,” said Singh.

To address this issue, the Mentorship team SMP has come up with a website – http://sites.google.com/site/iitbinfo/– to disseminate information to students that will help them choose their branch, he added. This website has been updated with the relevance, curriculum and general job portfolios of every department to help students make a better and more informed choice.”

“The forum and programme have dual benefits. On one hand, it will enable the institute to solve problems faced by new students who find it difficult to adjust and acclimatise to the new environment, and secondly, it will enable seniors like us to learn troubleshooting and problem-solving techniques,” said Singh.

According to members of the SMP, some of the problems new students face in the institute are minor, but their inability to address them over a long period of time can lead to frustration and depression, which can result in students taking drastic measures.

“Through SMP the institute will get feedback from students, faculty and officials on a regular basis. Freshers can ask anything or share anything they want with their mentors and it will be addressed,” said an official from the student relations department.

“SMP is the ideal platform for freshers to interact among themselves and with seniors. All doubts regarding admission procedures, infrastructure and anything the freshers can possibly think of are asked without hesitation, and cleared with pleasure. Exposure to such activities will help us make campus life easy and comfortable for all the new students who have put in immense efforts to get into the institute,” said Singh.
dipti.singh@expressindia.com



First Published on: June 23, 20141:35 am

Suicide at IIT-B: Panel set up to suggest preventive measures - Indian Express

Suicide at IIT-B: Panel set up to suggest preventive measures

The aim is to ensure that the institute can more effectively address issues of students.


At present, there are two student counsellors and one counselling coordinator on campus, which has a student population of over 8,000.

Written by Mihika Basu | Mumbai | 
Published on:May 8, 2015 2:06 am

After a 21-year-old chemical engineering student of IIT- Bombay killed himself on the terrace of one of the hostels on the campus last week, the institute director has constituted a three-member committee to “deliberate on the unfortunate incident and to suggest preventive measures” for the future.

The aim is to ensure that the institute can more effectively address issues of students, who may be suffering from depression or have problems in settling in a competitive environment.

According to institute officials, the current procedure to identify students who may be having problems on campus, academic or personal, is through inputs that come from fellow students, student mentors, instructors and faculty advisors.

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“Students who demonstrate signs of psychological issues are assessed by the counsellors, who decide if intervention is needed and if so, to what extent. Counselling is usually a long-drawn process, with regular meetings with student counsellors and/or psychiatrists as the case may be. Regular assessment of the student is done in the follow-up visits and he or she is monitored regularly,” said Prof Anindya Datta, Associate Dean (Student Affairs), IIT Bombay.

At present, there are two student counsellors and one counselling coordinator on campus, which has a student population of over 8,000.

Jitesh Sharma’s body was found last Saturday evening at around 7 pm on the terrace of hostel number 15 B in the campus. According to the police, the suicide note stated that he was worried about the results of his exams and was apprehensive about not getting a good placement. According to officials, the student was undergoing regular counselling sessions since the beginning of this semester and hence his parents knew that he was depressed.

Datta further said that currently, friends and batchmates are taken into confidence for academic help and mild social anxiety. “Friends also help in giving a good support structure till a particular point in small adjustment problems. They also help in bringing their friends who are in distress and continue to give feedback in the long run,” he added.

Further, parents of students, who are facing more serious problems and need family support, are contacted and informed of the situation. “If the student needs medical attention, this as a matter of rule is done with the parents in picture and are given advice as per the treating doctor. In case of any discipline-related matter, the parents are kept informed,” said another official.


mihika.basu@expressindia.com

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

330 - IIT students crumble under study load, expectations from family and peers - Economic Times

By Sreeradha Basu, ET Bureau
5 May, 2015, 04.20AM IST

MUMBAI: When Shankar K (name changed) arrived at one of the older IITs a couple of years ago, he became the first person in his family to attend college. His parents had pooled together their life's savings to send him to coaching class and then IIT, and today, the 20-year-old is in his second year of electrical engineering. 

Every day, he says, is a struggle. The pressure to keep up with his grades is taking a toll. So much so, he hasn't had time to make good friends. And with his poor English and communication skills, he fears that landing a good job is going to be a real challenge. 

Stress is part and parcel of college life, but for some students at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),
it can get overwhelming. 

Stress is part and parcel of college life, but for some students at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), it can get overwhelming. Everything adds up: daunting academic loads, struggling to keep up after a lifetime of being an overachiever and the burden of expectations from family, friends and peers. 

Last year, the IITs saw an estimated 14 student suicides, probably the highest ever across these elite colleges. On Sunday, Jitesh Sharma, a third-year student of chemical engineering at IIT Bombay, allegedly committed suicide. He left behind a note, talking about poor performance in his exams as well as his worry about placements. The inability to cope - often spiraling into depression - has haunted several students. "The world creates artificial expectations. There's peer pressure, family pressure, societal pressure.

Unfortunately, for some students, their ambition is centred around pay packages. To their mind, their success will be judged only around their pay packages and placements," says Indranil Manna, director, IIT Kanpur. 

Agrees Mohak Mehta, placement manager at IIT Bombay: "There are students blindly taking up computer science and engineering even if they aren't inclined towards it just because that's where the fattest pay cheques are. Parents call up the placement cell to find out the schools or branches getting the top salaries, and that's the one they pressurise their children to join." 

At a leading IIT, a top 50 AIR holder in JEE took up computer science but could not cope with the pressure. He went into depression. "In this competitive environment, when someone starts slipping, stress just keeps building up from there," says a director at a top IIT, who does not wish to be named. 

"There are students coming into the system thinking that once they've made it to an IIT, things are easy from then on," says Parth Vaswani of IIT Kanpur. "They don't realise it's just the first hurdle. You could have been a topper all your life, but here you may be struggling to get by." Pressure builds up in various ways. There are students who see their batchmates bag coveted internships in the second and third years and suffer from comparison. There are those who have been faring poorly academically. Then there are students from humble backgrounds whose families have sold their land or put in all their savings for what they believe is the ticket to a better life. Some of these students don't even have the time to bond or make friends. "Stress and depression is more prevalent among people who are shy and quiet. There are counsellors on campus but they won't reach out for help," says IIT Bombay's Mohak Mehta. 

Anonymity helps, says Richa Singh, an IIT Guwahati alumnus who started a crowdfunded online platform called Your D.O.S.T. to provide emotional support. They have over 30 counsellors on board so people can reach out anonymously and vent their feelings online. 

While providing an enterprise solution at IIT Guwahati, 360 students signed up within the first 10 days. Around 100 queries came in ranging from difficulty in concentrating on their studies and poor grades, to apprehensions about not getting placed. Singh says she is in talks with other IITs to implement the initiatives there as well. 

IITs too have their own systems in place. There are counsellors on board, buddy systems, faculty advisors at hand to look out for students at risk. "We try to make sure there are multiple ways of reaching out to students," says Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras. "It's not always foolproof but we try and ensure we do everything we can." 

Read more at:

329 - IIT looks to better its counselling services - TNN

Yogita Rao,TNN | May 4, 2015, 11.52 PM IST

MUMBAI: IIT-Bombay will set up a committee to look into the changes that need to be brought about in the counselling services offered by the institute. The move came after a third-year chemical engineering student, Jitesh Sharma, committed suicide on Saturday. 

Sharma had been undergoing treatment for depression for a year over his mounting backlogs in previous years, said the police. The institute plans to bolster the practices followed on campus to help students deal with such problems. 

A new initiative, though not related to the Saturday incident, aims at improving students' competency in English language as it will also help them comprehend the syllabus better. 

Officials are toying with the idea of offering English as a formal course to all freshmen on the campus. It is just one of the solutions that a panel of students and professors will be discussing this week in a meeting. 

Students' feedback over their competency in the English language and their expectations from the institute is also being sought in the form of a survey. 

Though the process to set up the committee and hold discussions was initiated some time ago, the first meeting of the committee will be held on Thursday. The students' media body on campus, Insight, has sought feedback from the students on behalf of the institute. 

The Insight post on Facebook read: "It is well known that the language barrier is one of the key issues hampering students in IIT-Bombay. Students coming from different backgrounds and different corners of the country have to face the burden of a common medium of instruction- English. The institute recognizes this issue and is keen on providing support and resources to students. A committee has been set up to find a permanent solution to the problem." 

Shubham Goyal, the general secretary of academic affairs, said informal initiatives had always been taken in the past but the latest initiative would be more formal. "We have sought information from students on whether they need help in reading, writing, speaking skills," Goyal said. 

Sharma's body was flown back to Rohtak on Monday morning, said a source on the campus. 

DCP Vinayak Deshmukh said the blood sample would be sent for forensic analysis. 

The officer said that the post-mortem report was yet to come in and that there was no complaint registered by the parents. 

Director Devang Khakhar said the institute would soon be setting up a committee to find what more could be done. 

A professor said more people on the campus should be equipped to identify warning signs at an early stage of depression. 



328 - Upset over falling grades, IIT Bombay student commits suicide - IBN Live

Shreya Dhoundial, CNN-IBN | May 04, 2015 at 09:29pm



http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/543733/upset-over-falling-grades-iit-bombay-student-commits-suicide.html

In a shocking incident, a 21-year-old IIT Bombay chemical engineering student killed himself by consuming a poisonous substance as he was allegedly upset over his falling grades. The suicide note left by the student said, 'I should not have been in this field. I made a mistake by passing the Joint Entrance Exam.'

327 - ‘Depressed’ over poor grades, IIT Bombay student kills self - TNN

Vinamrata Borwankar, TNN | May 4, 2015, 03.18AM IST

MUMBAI: A 21-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) was found dead on a hostel terrace on Saturday evening. Jitesh Sharma, a third-year chemical engineering student was believed to be depressed due to academic stress. He also left a note, the police said.

IIT officials said the body was found on the terrace of hostel 15 though he was a resident of hostel 8. "A student, who was taking a walk on the terrace, spotted him on the terrace and informed the security. There was froth coming out of his mouth and cold drink bottles were lying near him. He was rushed to the IIT-Bombay hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. We have counselled his friends and the student who found the body. His friend said he appeared normal on Saturday morning," said an IIT spokesperson.


Preliminary police investigation revealed that Sharma, who hails from Rohtak in Haryana, had consumed a poisonous substance from the institute laboratory. "Since he was a chemical engineering student he used a sodium-based poisonous chemical from his lab. The post-mortem report is awaited. His parents were aware about his condition," said DCP Vinayak Deshmukh. The police have registered a case of accidental death.

Sharma usually kept to himself and didn't interact much. "The suicide note stated that he regretted passing JEE exam to make it to IIT. He wrote that his parents have been living alone and will now live alone in the future as well," said a police official. "He had previous subjects to clear and was depressed and was taking psychiatric treatment for the past one year."

IIT-Bombay director Devang Khakhar said it could not just be about academics. "Though he was poor in his academic performance he was coping with it. It has more to do with his emotional status," said Khakhar. He added that Sharma was in his third year so there was no fear of expulsion either.

Sharma who was scheduled to go home two days before the incident missed his train, claimed hostel mates. "He was to go home two days before but returned to the hostel saying he had missed the train as his cab's tyre got punctured. He seems to have deactivated his Facebook account too, as we are unable to access it since last night," said a student who lives in the same hostel.


"Initially he had fail grades in his first year and he was given a mentor. He had shown improvement after that. His head of department and family had extended great support to him," said the spokesperson. Though the authorities claimed that he was depressed due to his poor academic performance, his hostelmates said that he did not show any signs of depression.


According to sources, Sharma has been a loner but took part enthusiastically in extra-curricular activities. "He was very active on campus in extra-curricular activities but he did not have many friends. He shared his room with a senior student last year but he moved into a single room, he (Sharma) was living alone," said a student. He was working with the institute's placement cell as the associated placement co-ordinator and also actively participated in cultural events. He even submitted a script on a film on their hostel in the past.

326 - IIT Bombay student found dead on hostel terrace, leaves behind a note - IBN Live

May 03, 2015 at 08:33pm IST

IIT Bombay student found dead on hostel terrace, leaves behind a note

Mumbai: A third year chemical engineering student from IIT Bombay was found dead on the hostel terrace on Saturday evening.

The student, 21-year-old Jitesh Sharma, originally from Rohtak, was found along with a note. According to sources, it is a case of suicide.

The suburban Powai police was subsequently informed. Police reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem on Sunday morning.

A suicide note purportedly written by the student was found near the his body which indicates that he was depressed.
"Prima facie, the student is suspected to have consumed some poisonous substance, but it can only be ascertained after we get the medical reports," an officer at Powai police station, who is investigating the matter, said.

An accidental death report (ADR) has been registered and further investigation is on into the matter, he said.

"Today being a holiday, we are unable to contact his friends and faculty heads. But as soon as the classes resume, we would try to get details about his academic and social performance," he said. "He has written a suicide note in Hindi and English that shows he was under depression," the investigating officer said, adding that the student was apparently unhappy with the choice of his academic course.

The suicide note purportedly reads: "I should not have been into this field. I did a mistake by passing JE exam. I have learnt to be away from my parents."

The student's father has been informed about the incident, the officer said.

Jitesh was apparently not doing well in studies and was yet to clear a few subjects of previous semesters, he said as per information gathered from his friends.
This is the second death reported in less than a year on the campus.

(With Input from PTI)

325 - Campus dealt a death blow - Asian Age

May 04, 2015 | Age Correspondent

Sharman Joshi in a still from 3 Idiots, a film that addressed student suicides

Student suicide has been a burning issue and counsellors believe that there needs to be greater awareness about depression itself

Jitesh Sharma, a student of IIT-Bombay, was found dead on the terrace of a hostel on the campus on Saturday evening. The 21-year-old chemical engineering student was reportedly suffering from depression. News reports further suggested that he was unhappy with his academic choices; and he even indicated in his suicide note that he was depressed. This is the second case in the campus in less than a year. In September last year, Aniket Ambhore, jumped to death from the sixth-floor balcony of a hostel on the campus.

Student suicide has been a burning issue and counsellors and psychiatrists believe that there needs to be greater awareness about depression itself. Often, displacement and the need to constantly prove themselves creates turmoil. The issues could range from a burn out, homesickness or students thinking that they are not in the right place or the right field.

Prachi Chitre, counselor at Institute of Psychological Health, observes, “Students often find themselves in a continuous battle of constantly having to prove themselves to their family, friends, and faculty. They want to live up to others’ expectations and make sure that nobody thinks that they got into the institution just by chance. Also, when students come from smaller cities to study in a big city like Mumbai, they experience a culture shock and cultural differences may become a matter of conflict between them and their peers. They may find it difficult to fit in and hence, may experience isolation and loneliness. This in turn gives rise to an inferiority complex. All this just becomes a fatal mix.”

The IIT-Bombay campus currently houses 8,000 students with an active counseling cell, with a clinical psychologist and a full-time counselor; round the year workshops on stress-management and even an IIT-B care health page on Facebook. 

However, these initiatives seem to fall short. Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty says, “I’m not putting the blame on IIT-Bombay but more such projects need to be undertaken by the college. 

With at least 8,000 students on campus, they probably need to put in more efforts.” Paras Sharma, programme coordinator for the pan-India psycho-social counselling helpline iCALL, says, “Students often shy away from seeking help because they are worried that someone may come to know about it, or their parents would come to know about it. Even calling a suicide-prevention helpline is still a struggle. People should be made more aware of this issue.”

Rashmi Uday Kumar, public relations officer for IIT-Bombay also admits that while measures have been taken, a lot still needs to be done. She says, “We do have a counseling centre and training counselors visiting the campus. We also have an IIT B-Care health page where we have been getting good response. Since it is voluntary, not everyone has shown interest in these sessions. It is unfortunate that the boy decided to end his life. He wasn’t doing well in studies but he was improving academically, and that is what makes it more shocking.”

Savita Pawar, parent to a 23-year-old, explains that maybe open communication between a parent and a child coupled with no burden of expectations would help understand the child’s aspirations. She says, “As parents, maybe we need to put ourselves in their shoes and judge things from their perspective.”

Symptoms of depression
The person in question could be irritable or even casually talking about death
They could spend a lot more time sleeping
They also develop a tendency to avoid people
They display a general lack of enthusiasm in everyday activities
It is also important to pay attention to what they are saying.
A person who is at a risk of committing suicide generally tries to communicate that he/she needs help. Therefore, warning signs should never be ignored.
(Inputs by Dr. Harish Shetty and Prachi Chitre)

A report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in September 2014 states:
India’s suicide rate was 21.1 per 1,00,000 people, according to the report.
India accounted for the highest estimated number of suicides overall in 2012.

Over 800,000 people commit suicide every year and it is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year olds globally.
Source: Preventing suicide:
A global imperative; www.who.int

324 - 21-year-old commits suicide at IIT Powai - Free Press Journal

— By Staff Reporter | May 04, 2015 02:55 am 


Mumbai :  A 21-year-old youth allegedly committed suicide at 6.45 pm on Saturday evening on the terrace of IIT Powai by consuming an unidentified chemical substance. The deceased, hailing from Haryana, has been identified as Jitesh Sharma who was a third year B-Tech chemical engineering student.

An officer from Powai police station, where an accidental death report has been registered, said that Sharma had been depressed for the past one year. “From the preliminary investigation, we found out that the youth’s performance in academics was not to his satisfaction and he was depressed for over a year. Also, the father confirmed that his son was going through counseling sessions for the same,” said the officer. Sharma’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to Rajawadi hospital, and samples of the chemical substance have also been sent for testing to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina.

“Our investigation is underway and we are waiting for the post-mortem report and testing samples. Also, we found out from his friends that he used to stay aloof and never discussed his problems with anyone,” the officer further added.

The youth is survived by his father, mother and a younger brother. His friends said that, “he appeared normal on Saturday morning and they didn’t notice anything wrong. Late evening, around 6.45 pm, they found him lying on the floor of the terrace and foam was coming out of his mouth.”


Sharma was then rushed to a local hospital in IIT Powai where he was declared dead before admission. A spokesperson for IIT Powai said, “His parents reached Mumbai on Sunday morning and the cause of his death is still unknown. It will be clear only after the post-mortem. We will hand over his body to the parents after the post-mortem.”

323 - IIT-Bombay student commits suicide under severe depression - PrepSure

May 04, 2015 3:32 PM

A 21 year old IIT-Bombay student committed suicide in hostel at Indian Institute of Technology, Powai on May 03, 2015. The deceased was a chemical engineering student at IIT, Powai. Jitesh Sharma (21), who hails from Haryana, was allegedly found dead on the terrace of the institute’s hostel last evening by his friends. The suburban Powai police was subsequently informed.

Police reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem this morning on May 04. A suicide note purportedly written by the student was found near the student’s body which indicates that he was depressed, they said.

“Prima facie, the student is suspected to have consumed some poisonous substance, but it can only be ascertained after we get the medical reports,” an officer at Powai police station, who is investigating the matter, said.

An accidental death report (ADR) has been registered and further investigation is on into the matter, he said.

“Today being a holiday, we are unable to contact his friends and faculty heads. But as soon as the classes resume, we would try to get details about his academic and social performance,” he said.

“He has written a suicide note in Hindi and English that shows he was under depression,” the investigating officer said, adding that the student was apparently unhappy with the choice of his academic course.

The suicide note purportedly reads: “I should not have been into this field. I did a mistake by passing JE exam. I have learnt to be away from my parents.”

The student’s father has been informed about the incident, the officer said. Jitesh was apparently not doing well in studies and was yet to clear a few subjects of previous semesters, he said as per information gathered from his friends.


Input from PTI

322 - Exam stress drives IIT boy to 'suicide' - The Telegraph, Kolkata

Monday, 04 May 2015 08:34 AM


Mumbai: A third-year BTech student was found dead in an IIT Bombay hostel last night, with a purported suicide note citing academic stress, police said.

Budding chemical engineer Jitesh Sharma, 21, who was from Rohtak in Haryana, had been undergoing counselling for depression, fellow students told The Telegraph.

His body was discovered on the terrace of hostel No. 15 on the IIT Bombay campus at Powai, about 25km from Mumbai. Officers said Jitesh stayed at a different hostel, half a kilometre away.

"He has left a suicide note but we will only come to a definite conclusion about the cause of death after post-mortem," said a sub-inspector at the IIT chowki (post) of Powai police station.

"A container of sodium azide acid, a highly corrosive poison, was found beside his body.... Jitesh had not done well in two exams on April 24 and April 25 and was worried about his placements. He says all this in the suicide note."

Sodium azide is an industrial chemical used in car airbags and as a preservative, among other things, and is highly toxic.

A PTI report quoted a Powai police station officer as saying: "An accidental death report has been registered and further investigation is on."

The agency, which said Jitesh was yet to clear a few subjects from his previous semester, quoted from the purported suicide note: "I should not have been into this field. I did a mistake by passing JE exam. I have learnt to be away from my parents."

In the 2010 movie 3 Idiots, an engineering student named Joy Lobo who is on the verge of failing an exam because of an unfinished project commits suicide.

Jitesh's batch-mates said he had watched the film, like almost all IITians.

"Every IITian can empathise with Joy Lobo but I can't say whether it egged him (Jitesh) on to commit suicide. That would be too far-fetched," an MTech student of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, who is from Calcutta and knew Jitesh, said.

He said Jitesh's family and friends knew he was undergoing psychiatric counselling for depression.

"He often spoke about academic stress. The IITs put us under incredible stress, and the sheer weight of the assignments does not allow students to sleep more than 3 to 4 hours," said the student, who didn't want to be named fearing involvement in police investigations.

"Plus, after all the toil of the Joint Entrance Examination, if you feel you are not in love with the subject you aspired to read, it can really be very depressing."

He added: "If the police think I knew something about Jitesh, they would certainly question me. That would mean giving them time that I can't afford under current academic pressure...."


321 - DEPRESSED IIT-B STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE - Mumbai Mirror

Mumbai Mirror | May 4, 2015, 08.18 AM IST

By Arita Sarkar and Ankita Bhatkhande

A 21-year-old student of IIT Bombay in Powai, Jitesh Vijay Sharma, committed suicide on the terrace of one of the institute's hostel buildings on Saturday evening. A third year student of chemical engineering, Sharma left a suicide note in his room stating that he was under depression.

Prima-facie investigations by the Powai police revealed that Sharma had consumed a poisonous chemical called sodium azide and some bottles of chemicals were found at the spot, which the police have sent to the forensics. 

The police found Sharma's suicide note in his room written in Hindi, wherein Sharma had mentioned that he was soon to be placed in a good company but was worried about scoring less in his exams. The note also stated that Sharma is taking this step of his own will, the police said. 

While Sharma's classmates said he was academically weak and had backlogs in a few subjects, IIT officials said that he was suffering from depression and was seeking psychiatric help from the IIT counsellor, Amita Tagare. " His parents knew about his condition and the counsellor had told them to visit their son more often. He did show improvement in his academics," said an IIT official. 

Though Sharma was a resident of Hostel 8, his body was found on the terrace of hostel 15 by a first year computer engineering student around 6:30 pm on Saturday. His body was then taken to the hospital in the institute premises where he was declared dead on arrival. "The body was later taken to Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar for post mortem," said a fourth year chemical engineering student on condition of anonymity. 

Sharma's classmates described him as "a quiet and an introvert guy who hardly hung out with his classmates or partied". 

The IIT Placement cell confirmed that he was the Associate placement coordinator at the institute and was also the coordinator of the E-Cell of the college. Students from Sharma's hostel stated that Sharma was supposed to leave for Rohtak, his hometown, on Saturday. 

IIT PRO Rashmi Uday Kumar said that the institute was shocked about the incident. "The student was academically weak, but was showing improvement. The institute's administration will have an internal deliberation on what can be done to prevent such an incident in future," Kumar said. 

Sharma's body was handed over to his businessman father and his uncle.The police said the body will then be taken to his house in Rohtak, Haryana.The police are now investigating the CCTV footage of both Sharma's as well the hostel where he consumed poison. 

IIT-Bombay had strengthened its counselling facilities after a similar incident occurred in September last year. A fifth year student Aniket Ambhore, who was also suffering from depression, fell to death from the sixth floor of one of the hostels. 

Apart from a new Facebook page for online counselling, the institute has also started a new counselling office to ensure privacy of the students seeking help from IIT counsellors.


320 - IIT-B student kills self, found on hostel terrace - Asian Age


Jitesh Sharma, a third-year chemical engineering student in IIT-B, committed suicide by consuming poison on Saturday on the terrace of one of the hostels that is located on the campus. While a suicide note has been recovered from the student’s room, neither the institute nor the police are divulging its contents. According to students living in the hostel where Sharma lived, he was under pressure due to the Failing Rates (FR) and had also failed to secure internship; hence he could have taken the drastic step.

According to IIT students, they came to know about Sharma’s death through social messaging applications. However, the fact that he committed suicide in another hostel has baffled all of them.

“Jitesh’s room was in hostel 8. Though he was not doing well in his studies he used to take active part in other extra curricular activities,” said another third-year chemical engineering student. The student added that Jitesh had not fared well in the previous semester and was worried about getting FRs in the recently concluded exams also.

“His name did not feature in the internship list. That coupled with the FRs could have caused him to go into depression and take the extreme step,” said another student.

Third-year students said that after Jitesh was nowhere to be seen, his friends went searching for him and after being told that he was seen going towards hostel 15 they went to look for him there. “Messages on the students’ group on Whatsapp say that Jitesh’s friends found him on the terrace of hostel 15 frothing from the mouth. They rushed him to a local hospital where he was declared dead,” said another student. The student added that everyone was debating as to why Jitesh went to hostel 15, which is meant for freshmen, to commit suicide.

The police confirmed that Jitesh had consumed some poisonous substance. His parents also came to Mumbai from Rohtak after they were informed of their son’s death on Saturday.

319 - Mumbai: Chemical engg student at IIT-B kills self with poison - Mid Day

By Sailee Dhayalkar |Posted 04-May-2015
 156 129 2 0 0

The 21-year-old, a third-year student, allegedly committed suicide on Saturday by consuming sodium azide; a suicide note found in his room said he was depressed and regretted his choice of stream at the prestigious institute



IIT-Bombay was witness to yet another suicide when a third-year student of the Chemical Engineering cohort allegedly killed himself by consuming poison on Saturday. According to the institute, the students was struggling academically and a suicide note found in his room states the student was depressed and regretted coming to IIT.

According to the public relations officer at IIT-Bombay, the deceased student was struggling academically. 
File pic

The deceased was identified as Jitesh Sharma (21), originally a resident of Rohtak in Haryana. According to the police, Sharma allegedly killed himself by drinking a chemical called sodium azide, and was found dead on the terrace of hostel number 15, which is half a kilometre away from hostel 8, where Sharma used to stay.

A fellow student found Sharma near the terrace lift between 6.30 pm and 7 pm on Saturday. When he was unable to wake Sharma up, he informed the institute authorities and Sharma was taken to the campus hospital, where he was declared dead. The police were also informed.

Depressed
A suicide note written in Hindi was also found from Sharma’s room. Rajeev Chauhan, police inspector, Powai police station, said, “The suicide note said he was depressed, as he was not doing well in studies. (It said) He regretted his choice of academic course (at IIT).”

Sharma is said to have been a quiet boy and not very social, and was also undergoing counselling with the campus psychiatrist for the past one year, said a police officer.

According to fellow students, he was supposed to leave for Rohtak on Friday, but had to cancel his trip at the eleventh hour. Sharma was also struggling to cope with studies at IIT-Bombay, but was putting in efforts, another student added. “He had barely managed to pass the previous few semesters and only recently had he started coping. It’s really sad that he took academics so seriously that he took his life for the same,” said a student.

Sharma’s body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar for a post-mortem. His father, a businessman in Rohtak, flew down to the city along with a relative to take its custody and left yesterday.

Police have also recovered the bottle which had the chemical that Sharma allegedly drank, and are investigating as to how he procured the substance. They are also looking at CCTV footage for further leads.

Officialspeak
Confirming the incident, Rashmi Uday Kumar, public relations officer, IIT-Bombay, told mid-day, “He’s a resident of hostel number 8 and when another student went to the terrace of building number 15 for a walk, he found Jitesh unconscious. There were many bottles of soft drinks lying around and there was froth coming from his mouth, and this student immediately contacted the officials at the institute.” She added that Sharma, originally from Rohtak, was a third-year Chemical Engineering student and wasn’t doing very well academically.
— Inputs by Shreya Bhandary


- See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-student-found-dead-in-iit-bombay-premises/16183165#sthash.NM6FRB1q.dpuf

318 - IIT Bombay student commits suicide - Indileak

Published On: Sun, May 3rd, 2015


Mumbai:
A third year chemical engineering student of IIT Bombay allegedly committed suicide on Saturday night by consuming poising in his hostel room.
This is the second incident of suicide in the IIT Bombay in the current year
According to available information, a suicide note was discovered from the terrace of the hostel where the student had allegedly committed suicide.
The police is investigating the authenticity of the suicide note. However, the content of the suicide note has yet not been disclosed by the police, said sources.
A batch-mate of the deceased student said that though he was quite active in extra-curricular activities, he was not doing all that well at his studies.
He was from Rohtak and his parents have been informed about the unfortunate incident. Incidentally, the parents of the deceased student are in Mumbai, said sources.

This is the second incident of suicide in the IIT Bombay in the current year.

317 - IIT Bombay student found dead in campus -NewsX

By
Alka Sinha
Sunday, May 3, 2015 - 16:03

IIT Bombay student found dead in campus

MUMBAI: A student of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bombay was found dead on Saturday night in the campus.
According to the sources, the third year Chemical engineering student committed suicide leaving a note behind it.
The body was found on the terrace of the hostel around 11 PM. The student, who was originally from Rohtak, is believed to have consumed poison to kill self, said sources.

His parents have been informed who are in the city, said sources. The police is investigating the matter, it added.

316 - IIT Bombay Student Found Dead on Hostel Terrace - IB Times

A student of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Bombay was found dead on the terrace of one of the hostels in the campus on Saturday night.

The campus students claimed that the deceased had left a suicide note. The incident came to light on Saturday after the third-year student's body was found on the terrace of hostel number 15.

It is believed that he consumed a poisonous chemical that led to his death. "Some chemical may be involved; the police is investigating," The Times of India quoted IIT-Bombay spokesperson as saying.

Neither the cause, nor the reason behind his death is clear as of now, however, one of the students said that he was not doing well in academics. "He was active in extra-curricular activities and was coordinating in the functioning of the placement cell in the last semester. But he was not doing well academically," the student said.

The deceased hailed from Rohtak and was studying chemical engineering at IIT-Bombay.