138 - Students protest against suicide at IIT-K - TOI

Students protest against suicide at IIT-K

TNN Sep 27, 2011, 01.18pm IST

KANPUR: Scores of students came out on roads in Kakadeo locality in protest against the IIT-Kanpur administration over the suicidal death of Mehtab Ahmed, a BTech first-year student at the institute.

Most of the aspiring students were aspirants of Joint Entrance Exam of 2012.

During their protest, they were holding banners and placards in their hands condemning the ever-increasing cases of suicides at IIT-K.

The students also raised slogans criticising the IIT-K director and demanded a probe into the entire matter.

They alleged that ten students have committed suicide at IIT-Kanpur so far and institute's administration had done nothing about it.

The protest was led by Kilkil Sachan, a rusticated student of IIT-Kanpur. 

Meanwhile, a maths teacher of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, V N Pal, also staged a dharna at IIT-Kanpur gate. He was supported by nearly one dozen students. Pal said that this protest was staged to awaken the sleeping IIT-Kanpur administration over the increasing cases of suicides at the institute.

137 - IIT hanging case: Father alleges ragging, fresh case registered - Indian Express

IIT hanging case: Father alleges ragging, fresh case registered

Shalini Narayan : New Delhi, Sat Feb 11 2012, 01:04 hrs

Seven months after Dinesh Ahlawat, a first-year chemical engineering student, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in an IIT Delhi hostel, his father has filed a case of abetment to suicide, saying ragging by seniors forced his son to end his life.

Dinesh died two days before his 19th birthday. His father Yashveer Singh, who teaches science at a school in Rohtak, alleged that Dinesh spoke to him twice and complained that he had been ragged by seniors.

When his body was found on August 4 in the Zanskar hostel, police ruled out ragging as a reason for the alleged suicide and said he may have had “adjustment problems and homesickness”.

While investigating officers said the case was one of suicide, Dinesh’s death remained a mystery since he was found hanging with his hands tied with a handkerchief and legs bound with his vest. Police now say the probe will continue, that the autopsy concluded it was “suicidal hanging” with no external injury marks on the body.

Yashveer Singh appealed before the Saket court, saying he wasn’t satisfied with the response he got from the institute or the police. The court directed police to register a case. A case under IPC Section 306 — abetment of suicide — has been registered.

In his statement to the police, Singh said: “Students had to break open the door to get in and lower my son’s body. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead. On 30.7.2011, he told me he was ragged by his seniors. I spoke to him on August 1 and 2 when he spoke to the rest of the family too. Later, I found out that on August 3, seniors had ragged the juniors.”

“I strongly suspect that it was because of this (ragging) that my son felt humiliated and took his life,” Singh said.

He told Newsline: “My son called me and told me that he would be coming home for his birthday... The college administration has hidden the real issue from us. Otherwise, why was my son’s body discovered by three seniors? What were seniors doing in his hostel at that time?”

Shashi Mathur, Dean of Students at IIT Delhi, said: “We are as confused about the matter as anyone else. He was a bright student, a very nice boy. An inquiry committee was constituted which stated that there was no element of ragging. The institute carries out regular sessions on anti-ragging awareness. I lead the team that goes around the 12 hostels and counsel students about the Supreme Court ruling. It is mandatory for students to attend this.”

Chhaya Sharma, DCP (South), said: “We received orders from the court under Section 156 (3) CrPc and we have complied with it.”

136 - Retired IIT Delhi professor jumps to death from seventh floor - NDTV

Retired IIT Delhi professor jumps to death from seventh floor

Press Trust of India | Updated: October 22, 2011 22:22 IST

New Delhi:  A retired IIT Delhi professor killed himself today by jumping off the seventh floor of the IIT building, police said.

62-year-old Ashok Kumar Sharma, who was a resident of Dwarka, had retired recently and had continued to frequent the IIT campus.

He committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of the main administrative building at 12.30 pm today, a police official said.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. 

While a son and a daughter stay in the United States, another daughter lives in Orissa where she works as a Professor.

"His wife is on a visit to Orissa," the official said. Police said the retired professor was in the middle of some court cases pertaining to his age.

Preliminary inquiry also suggested that he was disturbed due to health reasons.

135 - Another suicide at IIT Bombay forces authorities to rethink academic policies

Another suicide at IIT Bombay forces authorities to rethink academic policies

BY ABHISHEK RAJ – AUGUST 6, 2011

Another final year student at IIT Bombay has committed suicide, taking the toll to 12 deaths this year. The deceased student, Aniket Prasad, hanged himself in his room while his roommate was attending classes. As a result, IIT Bombay has regained its supremacy by surpassing IIT Delhi in the aggregate number of suicides thus far.

Aniket’s friends were shocked by his suicide. They believe he could have been distressed because he had failed in quite a few courses in the third year and his C.P.I. had taken a plunge. 

The gender imbalance in the IITs and the fresh hullabaloo surrounding the spread of the gay disease in the campus meant that he spent more time in labs than in caféterias and multiplexes. He had a break-up with his girlfriend because he couldn’t land a foreign internship in the last summer. His roommate Pratik reported that Aniket was also upset over being seen as a geek by his relatives. He wanted to be creative and develop a multifaceted personality, but his coaching centre in Kota, and then IIT Bombay, ensured that his pursuit of happiness persisted in the direction they chose.

Pratik further added, “Aniket seemed depressed in the last few months. However, this is not considered a big deal here and a visit to the on-campus psychiatrist is considered good enough to rid one off his depression.” Another student reported (under the assurance of anonymity) that this instant relief provision at the psychiatrist’s has something to do with his hot compounder.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad has blamed the ISI and Islamic terrorists for these deaths. They have demanded a CBI enquiry.

Some students (among those still alive) blame the spate of suicides to the abominable food provided in the mess. Another student was shrewd enough to point out that all those students who committed suicide in the past shared one common trait. Apparently, none of them had Posts of Responsibilities (PORs) on their résumés.

The Dean of Student Affairs (popularly known as DoSA) considers these suicides a testimony to the rigorous academics of the IITs and is proud that he has managed to get the better of the best students. “This is a flawless model of survival of the fittest. We are running an educational institute here and not a life insurance company. Students have to play by our rules. It is my vision to make the IITs the best engineering institutions in the world. Few suicides here and there won’t deter our resolve. It is a small price that we need to pay reckoning the huge stakes.” Aniket’s batch-mates are rather excited because these suicides have reduced the rivalry for the campus placements. As this is only the beginning of the placement season, they expect further reduction.

Meanwhile Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has requested the Central Government to grant Bihar a special state rank because five out of these twelve students were from this state. He expressed concerns over tortures that Bihari students undergo from their peers in the IITs due to Bihar’s development levels.

According to Anna Hazare, these suicides represent students’ dissatisfaction with the corrupt government. “Now the government can’t escape from the charges of corruption. Indian youth, led by the valiant IITians, seek answers. We will ensure that their martyrdom doesn’t go waste. This movement will continue till we achieve a corruption-free State. We are ready to pour more blood into this fight. After all, we have fifteen IITs and so many colleges. More students will emulate the deeds of these twelve martyrs. ”

Due to protests from different political parties and social activists, Kapil Sibal, the Union HRD Minister, convened a caucus of the directors of all the IITs. After a lengthy discussion, the following recommendations were made to reduce the number of suicides and de-stress the students:

1. Introduction of a Girls’ quota in the admission process to improve boys’ attendance in classes.
2. Replacement of ‘Simulations and Modelling’ in the final year project with modelling stints to create new jobs for students in the best modelling agencies.
3. Signing an MoU with Channel V to allow students to participate in shows like Love Net, Axe Your Ex, Dare 2 Date, to provide them with opportunities to date.
4. 60% reservation in campus placements for students having C.P.I. less than 5. Students having more number of backlogs will be preferred.
5. Opening multiplexes, pubs, discos in the IIT campuses.

The government hopes these measures will reduce pressure if implemented.

134 - Student commits suicide, says tired of IIT in note - Hindustan Times

Student commits suicide, says tired of IIT in note

IANS

Kanpur, September 23, 2011

A student of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) was found hanging from his hostel room, police in this Uttar Pradesh town said on Friday, suspecting that he was depressed over a failed love affair.

Mahtab Ahmed, 18, a first year student of B.Tech material science and engineering from Kannauj, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room Thursday.

While no suicide note was found, police believe Ahmed was in depression, as evident from the writing on the walls of his room.

"I am tired of IIT…What is the meaning of happiness, yet trying to get answer," wrote Ahmed on one of the walls.

"We suspect a failed love affair as one of the possible reasons... We have learnt that Mahtab was having a love affair with a girl, who was from outside the campus," a senior police officer told IANS.

"We have also come to know that Mahtab used to write poems over his relationship with the girl, who is yet to be identified," he added.

When contacted, Inspector Rajesh Kumar, who is investigating the case, said: "We are probing the case from all the angles. Love affair is also one of them."

According to IIT-K Registrar Sanjeev Kashalkar, the suicide was detected Thursday evening when Ahmed did not respond to the repeated door knocks by his friends.

"We informed the police and they broke open the door," said Kashalkar.

133 - BTech student commits suicide in IIT-Kanpur - Deccan Herald

BTech student commits suicide in IIT-Kanpur

Kanpur, Sep 22 (PTI)2011

A first year BTech student of IIT-Kanpur today allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room, the ninth such case in five years, police said.

19-year-old Mehtab Ahmed, a resident of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, hanged himself in his hostel room, they said. The reason as to why he took the extreme step was not immediately known.

The incident came to light when his friends found him hanging in his room and reported the matter to the authorities following which the warden rushed to the hostel and found him dead.

"Ahmed was a student of Material Science and Engineering and was living in Room No 307," IIT-K Director Sanjay Dhande said. The IIT-K authorities immediately constituted a four-member committee to probe the matter and reported the incident to Kalyapur police station. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week, he said.

Dhande said Ahmed had taken admission in IIT-K just two months back. Asked if he was driven to suicide because of ragging, he said the matter was being looked into, but, prima facie it did not appear to be so.

Meanwhile, IIT-K Registrar Sanjeev Kashalkar said the boy's family members have been informed. The news of his suicide created flutter inside the campus as this was the ninth such case during the last five years.

Reply to an RTI query showed that from 2005 to 2010, two girl students and six boys of IIT-K have committed suicide. Five students committed suicide in their hostel rooms, one jumped from the roof of a building in the campus and another jumped in front of a moving train. Yet another had consumed poison.

132 - Suicide at IIT - Telegraph

Thursday , July 21 , 2011 |

‘Suicide’ at IIT

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Kharagpur, July 20: An IIT Kharagpur student who failed to clear the fourth-year exams last year and fared badly this time too was found hanging in his hostel room today. Police said they suspected Pankaj Chaudhury, a metallurgy student, had committed suicide. The 24-year-old, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the Meghnad Saha Hall and Residence on the IIT campus this afternoon. Chaudhury’s roommates said they returned from classes around 3pm and found him hanging. The door had been left open. The students informed the authorities who, in turn, called the police. The police brought Chaudhury’s body down and took him to the institute’s hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. A police officer said Chaudhury had been “suffering from depression” as he had failed the exams last year and “done badly this time too”. His family has been informed. The officer said no suicide note had been found. IIT officials have refused comment.

131 - IIT boy found hanging in hostel - TOI

IIT boy found hanging in hostel

TNN Oct 19, 2011, 02.03AM IST

KHARAGPUR: Sunil Kujur, a fourth year student of IIT Kharagpur, was found hanging in his hostel room on Tuesday evening. He was a brilliant student and had no problem with studies but was depressed for some reason, say his friends.

This is the second suicide at IIT-Kgp in three months. In July, a final year student of the metallurgy department had killed himself.

"Kujur had stopped interacting with his friends and hostel mates for the past month. He had become a recluse and even refused to take food at times," said an institute official. On Tuesday, his friends knocked on Kujur's door at Jahangir Hall but got no reply. They broke it down to find the 22-year-old hanging from the ceiling.

He was a resident of Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. "He had an excellent academic record. There is no possibility of stress due to studies. We initially thought Kujur was remaining aloof due to the semester examination," said the IIT-Kgp official. 

Kujur's family members are on their way. No suicide note was found, said Kharagpur additional SP Miraj Khaled. "We are trying to speak to his friends to find out why he killed himself. We will take his laptop for investigation," Khaled said.