Rajasthan: IIT-JEE aspirant hangs self in Kota - dna

Rajasthan: IIT-JEE aspirant hangs self in Kota

Sunday, 28 June 2015 - 12:01pm IST | Place: Kota | Agency: 

A suicide note, in which the boy held himself responsible for the extreme step, was also recovered during the search of his room.

An 18-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his room here, police said on Sunday. Body of Rohit Singh was recovered from his apartment on Baran road last evening, SHO Boorkheda police station, Ranvijay Singh said.

The police is investigating if the student had taken the extreme step due to stress of studies or some other reason, he said. The student, who hails from Gopalganj district of Bihar, was staying in Kota with his parents and two siblings, and preparing for IIT entrance test, the SHO said.

A suicide note, in which the boy held himself responsible for the extreme step, was also recovered during the search of his room, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) at Boorkheda police station Ghanshyam Lal said. The student had shut himself in his room for studying on Saturday morning but did not come out till 7.00 pm.

His mother and the neighbours informed the police following which the body was found hanging from the ceiling fan, the ASI said, adding, the boy's father is not in the city. The body has been placed in the mortuary of Maharao Bhim Singh hospital and post-mortem would be conducted today after his father arrives.

A case under section 174 of CrPC would be lodged in this connection however, the investigation is still going on, he added. 

18 years old IIT-JEE student committed suicide in Kota

18 years old IIT-JEE student committed suicide in Kota

News

Jun 28, 2015

18-years-old student committed suicide in Kota

As per fresh reports, Rohit Singh, an IIT-JEE candidate, has committed suicide.

The report said that the 18-years-old strung himself up from the ceiling fan in his bedroom.

SHO Boorkheda police station, Mr. Ranvijay Singh stated that the dead body of the pupil got recovered from his residence on Baran road on June 27 evening.

The police officials are probing if the pupil had taken the severe step because of pressure of studies or any other cause, Mr. Ranvijay Singh said. The pupil, who belongs to Gopalganj region of Bihar, was residing in the city of Kota with his mother-father and two sibs, and making preparations for IIT entrance examination, the SHO added.

A suicide letter, in which Rohit held himself accountable for the severe step, was also found during the investigation of his room, ASI at Boorkheda police headquarters Ghanshyam Lal stated.

The pupil had shut himself in his bedroom on June 27 morning, but did not open the door till 7.00 pm.

Rohit’s mom and the fellow citizens notified the police accompanying which Rohit’s body was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan, Ghanshyam Lal said, adding, the boy’s father is not in the city.

The dead body has been placed in the morgue of Maharao Bhim Singh hospital and postmortem examination would be carried out today after his father comes back.

IIT-Kanpur student slits wrist in suicide bid - TNN

IIT-Kanpur student slits wrist in suicide bid

TNN | Jun 24, 2015, 11.23AM IST

KANPUR: A post graduate student of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) slit his wrist in a suicide bid late on Monday evening. Panicky authorities immediately rushed him to health centre on the campus from where he was later referred to Regency Hospital in Sarvodaya Nagar. 

On Tuesday, his condition was stated to be stable. The reason behind the drastic step was yet to be ascertained. 

The authorities are waiting for the student's recovery to initiate a probe. However, his colleagues said that he took the step in depression. 

Acting director Prof Ajit Chaturvedi confirmed the incident but said that the reason behind the drastic step was yet to be ascertained. 

"We all are shocked and are unaware as to what went wrong," he said. The acting director further said that no fact finding committee had been constituted so far. 

A fellow colleague found PG student Arun Kumar Sharma lying in a pool of blood. 

Realising that Sharma had slit his wrists, the colleague immediately alerted institute authorities. After admitting him to Regency Hospital, institute authorities informed his parents in Kota. 

Meanwhile, Sharma's colleagues kept a night-long vigil in the hospital praying for his well-being. 

On Tuesday, his father Arun Sharma reached the hospital and broke down after seeing his condition. 

Attending medical staff said that the boy's condition had improved and he had been shifted to a room.

IIT-Kanpur student attempts suicide - dna

IIT-Kanpur student attempts suicide

Tuesday, 23 June 2015 - 4:41pm IST 

Place: Kanpur | Agency: PTI

No complaint was lodged with the police.

A student of IIT-Kanpur allegedly tried to commit suicide by slitting his wrist here, official said today. Arun Kumar Sharma (25), a student of Ph.D mechanical engineering who hails from Kota, attempted suicide yesterday evening in room number eight of the hostel over family problems, Administration Incharge, NN Kishore told PTI.

He was taken to the dispensary in the campus by his friends but later shifted to a private hospital after his condition deteriorated, Kishore said, adding that, the student is now out of danger. However, no complaint was lodged with the police.

No complaint has been lodged yet and Kalyanpur police was not informed about the incident, Circle Officer DSP P Mohan Tripathi said.

When contacted, Director of IIT-Kanpur Indranil Manna and Registrar RK Sachan were not available for comments. 

A Canard about Dalit Suicides in IITs - "Q & A"

Q - I read with interest your blog on the suicides at IITs.  A canard is being spread that Dalit students form a huge portion of such suicides because of caste discrimination. I went through your list and the names suggest that only 6 could be Dalits. Do you have any additional information in this regard? Shall be grateful for a response. 

A -  "Canard" is the most appropriate word for this and it is just that.

Having said that the true situation IMHO is that a considerable percentage of merit students struggle with the high pressure system and tough curriculum, especially merit students from JEE Coaching schools, who learn get trained to excel in an JEE based on Multiple choice questions, without having strong fundamentals in maths, physics and chemistry.

If this is the case for even some merit students, imagine how difficult it would be for Dalit Students who get admission through Reservation even though they do not score adequate marks in JEE. These students lack strong fundas and are no match for merit students oozing with brains.

IITs are like boot camps and there is no let up and every one has to keep up or drop out and no one is in a position to assist the weak.

As one would expect the Dalit students fall into a rut and find it difficult to extricate themselves. To blame the failures of Dalit students on Caste discrimination, is false accusations.

Imagine throwing a bunch of kids who do not know how to swim into the deep ocean. They will all struggle and majority will some how survive however there will be a few that drown in the process. Is the Ocean to be blamed for these drownings ?

The mistake here is introducing Reservation into IITs for SC/ST students who don't have to score the marks scored by general category students.

Reservation in IITs is hurting the very students it is supposed to assist. Blame Govt Policies. 

Reservation has done more damage to SC/ST population since independence and we are led to believe it is helping them.

The Government has to look for better options to assist SC / ST Students like giving them scholarships to attend JEE Coaching Schools so these students enter IITs on Merit feeling confident and not through reservations.

Ram Krishnaswamy

SHAKEN BY SUICIDES, IIT-B TAKES NEW MEASURES TO CALM BEAUTIFUL MINDS - MUMBAI MIRROR

SHAKEN BY SUICIDES, IIT-B TAKES NEW MEASURES TO CALM BEAUTIFUL MINDS

By Arita Sarkar, Mumbai Mirror | Jun 12, 2015, 12.25 AM IST

HELPING STUDENTS IN DISTRESS: IIT-B director Devang Khakhar (left) and dean of student affairs, Soumyo Mukherjee

The institute will seek help from renowned psychiatrist Vikram Patel to improve counselling of students, also organise orientation workshop in July for parents.

Two suicides and one attempted suicide within ten months by some of their best and the brightest has prompted Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to take radical steps to help students in distress.

Speaking to this newspaper on Thursday, IITB director Devang Khakhar and dean of student affairs, Soumyo Mukherjee, revealed they have done away with the earlier rule under which students could be referred to a mental health counsellor only through the dean of student affairs. Both men said that given the sensitivities involved, it was imperative to maintain discretion and anonymity of the distressed student.

Learnings from the tragic suicide of their students Ankit Ambhore and Jitesh Sharma has prompted IIT to organize an orientation workshop next month exclusively targeted at parents.

In addition, the institute is planning to call on the expertise of Vikram Patel, psychiatrist and Professor of International Mental Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who was recently named among the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine, and who happens to be Khakhar's brother-in-law.

Following the launch of a Facebook page, I Care, last year IIT Bombay has now also deployed senior students to watch out for signs of depression among its juniors.

Stating that academic pressure is not the only cause for suicidal tendencies, Khakhar said over the past few years students at the undergraduate level have been under a lot of pressure from their family and friends as well. "If the students are not doing very well academically, then they are not going to get the big job in the end which puts pressure especially on students who have built a backlog. From our end we have cut down on the credits so that academic pressure is not that high in terms of workload."

Khakhar who has been IIT director for over six years, says the institute had asked Aniket Ambhore who jumped off the terrace in September last year, and who had a keen interest in music, to take a year off to focus on his other interests. However, apparently his parents had dissuaded him from doing so. "Taking time off is never an issue at IIT Bombay provided there is a valid reason," says Khakhar adding that often students feel the pressure from their family to finish the course within four years and participate in the placements.

Khakhar, who himself enrolled at IIT Delhi as a student in 1976, says suicide on campus was not unheard of even in those days. "It's not as if cases of students committing suicide have started now but it is very difficult to identify students who are on the verge of taking extreme steps (as opposed to) students who are just plain unhappy."

Urging students to not be worried about backlogs he says IIT Bombay, unlike other Indian Universities, does not fail a student. Emphasising the flexibility of the academic curriculum, Khakhar says, "If a student has earned many backlogs, then the student can take five years instead of four to clear the papers. Students should be more worried about the education they get rather than how many years it takes them to finish it."

WORRYING SIGNS

June 1: A 23-year-old student, pursuing a dual degree in MSc and PhD in earth sciences, tried to kill himself by repeatedly banging his head against a wall in his hostel room. He also slashed his wrists before consuming a poisonous substance.

May 2: Jitesh Sharma, a 21-year-old student of chemical engineering, was found dead on a hostel terrace. Sharma committed suicide by consuming a chemical.

September 4, 2014: Aniket Ambhore, a dual degree student in electrical engineering, fell to his death from the sixth floor of the hostel building. He was also undergoing treatment for depression.

IIT Guwahati student found dead behind hostel, cops say suicide - NYOOOZ

IIT Guwahati student found dead behind hostel, cops say suicide

• NYOOOZ Guwahati Wed,10 Jun 2015

Guwahati, Sept 15: An electronics and communication engineering student of IIT Guwahati, hailing from Haryana, was found dead behind his three-storey hostel building on Sunday, police said. The body of Tushar Yadav (19) was found lying in a pool of blood at around 7.30 am.

Police investigators say that the student committed suicide on Saturday night by jumping from the building rooftop. Police also found a note addressed to his parents which says he was suffering from depression for the past two months. "In the suicide note, the student has apologised to his parents," police said, adding they are waiting for the fingerprints report.

The student was a resident of Gurgaon in Haryana. His father, Narender Singh, rushed here after getting information. Post-mortem examination of the body was conducted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

This is the second such incident in the IIT-G this year. Shoaib Ahmed, a second semester M.Sc. student from West Bengal, had hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room in March.IANS ....

Kota: 17-year-old AIPMT aspirant commits suicide due to exam stress - Hindustan Times

Kota: 17-year-old AIPMT aspirant commits suicide due to exam stress

• PTI, Kota, Uttar Pradesh| Updated: Jun 08, 2015 20:41 IST

A 17-year-old All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) aspirant from Uttar Pradesh allegedly committed suicide because of the pressure of studies, four days after a teenaged girl preparing for the medical entrance examination hanged herself in the city.

According to the local police, the incident was reported in Talwandi locality in the Jhawarnagar area on Sunday morning, after the boy, Sarthak Yadav, was found hanging from a ceiling-fan.

Police said that a suicide note was found in the room in which the deceased wrote that the pressure of his study schedule and of becoming a doctor drove him to commit suicide.

Sub-inspector Suraj Singh at Jhawarnagar police station said that Yadav, a resident of Saharanpur district, had come to Kota a month ago and was enrolled in AIPMT coaching classes at a local institute.

He was staying at his grandfather's residence in Talwandi. The body has been sent for post-mortem, with police adding that Yadav's parents had arrived earlier on Monday.

A case under section 174 of CrPC would be lodged in connection with this, Singh said. These cases have created panic among the parents of students who come from all-parts of the country to Kota for coaching help.

The city is renowned for the plethora of coaching institutes it boasts. According to unofficial figures, over 1.5 lakh students preparing for AIPMT, IIT, JEE and AIEEE are currently enrolled in various coaching classes here.

Prior to this, an 18-year-old female AIPMT aspirant from Jharkhand committed suicide on Thursday by hanging herself in her hostel-room. Although the girl did not leave a suicide note, local police insist she suffered from depression due to the intense pace of her studies.

IIT-Madras Lifts Ban on Ambedkar Periyar Students' Group - NDTV

IIT-Madras Lifts Ban on Ambedkar Periyar Students' Group

All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: June 07, 2015 21:15 IST

CHENNAI:  Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) today reinstated recognition of a student group, whose de-recogition had triggered a controversy, and appointed a professor as its faculty advisor, bringing an end to the more than a week-long standoff.

The re-instatement of recognition to Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) and appointment of Professor Miland Brahme as Advisor came after a meeting between the Dean of Students and representatives of APSC held today, ending the confrontation that had left the campus in turmoil.

"The Dean of Students reinstated the recognition of APSC as an independent student body, and after consultation with the APSC representatives, recommended Professor Milind Brahme as the Faculty Advisor," an official release from IIT-M said.

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• Derecognised Students' Body to Meet IIT-Madras Director Today
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• IIT-Madras Row: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi Reaches Out to Dalits, Slams Modi Government

"Professor Brahme has consented to advise APSC as required in the guidelines for independent student bodies," it said.

IIT-M found itself at the centre of a controversy after it recently derecognised APSC, many of whose members are Dalits, following a complaint that it was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union HRD Minster Smriti Irani also came under fire from political parties including the Congress and students' bodies for the action against the APSC.

IIT-M had, however, maintained that "as per the guidelines in force, student bodies cannot use its name or its official entities in any capacity to publicise their activities or garner support without official permission."

With students staging protests demanding withdrawal of the action, IIT-M had last week convened a meeting of the Board of Students.

Noting that the Board of Students met and discussed the issues raised by APSC regarding modifications and suggestions for ensuring uniform guidelines for independent student bodies, the release said, some of the suggestions will be taken up in "due course".

"Some of these will be implemented by the Office of Dean (Students), while the Student Affairs Council, Board of Students, and Senate will take up the modifications in due course for consideration as per established procedure," it said.

APSC and Dean of Students expressed satisfaction that the matter "has been closed", the release said.

Story First Published: June 07, 2015 20:13 IST

IIT-B to revamp student counselling programme - Hindustan Times

IIT-B to revamp student counselling programme

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Mumbai| Updated: Jun 03, 2015 22:37 IST

After a 23-year-old student at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) attempted suicide on Monday, the institute is planning an overhaul of its counselling programmes to help students speak out about their problems instead of taking drastic steps.

Though the student survived the attempt, two others have killed themselves on the campus since September last year.

As part of the revamp, the institute plans to hire more professional mental health experts.

“We are also planning an outreach programme, as part of which students will be trained to spot signs of depression. Lectures on the subject will also be conducted. Depression is a major taboo in our society and that makes it difficult for students to reach out for help. The outreach programme will address that issue as well,” said dean of student affairs at IIT-B Soumyo Mukherjee.

According to sources in the institute, letters will also be sent to parents of first-year students, asking them not to pressurise their wards too much.

“Apart from academic pressure, students are often burdened with unrealistic expectations from their families. We need to address each of these triggers,” said an official from the institute.

IIT-B STUDENT TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF THRICE - Mumbai Mirror

IIT-B STUDENT TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF THRICE

Mumbai Mirror | Jun 4, 2015, 12.00 AM IST

Mumbai Mirror Bureau

The 23-year-old, who is undergoing treatment, repeatedly banged his head against a wall in his hostel room and then slashed his wrists before consuming a poisonous substance.

The IIT-B student who was rushed to a hospital in an unconscious state on Monday morning had made three attempts to kill himself within a few hours, it emerged on Wednesday. 

The 23-year-old first repeatedly banged his head against a wall in his hostel room and then slashed his wrists before consuming a poisonous substance, according to a doctor at Hiranandani Hospital, where the student is being treated. At some point, he started screaming, alerting his hostel mates. 

The student, who is pursuing a dual degree in MSc and PhD in earth sciences, wrote in a suicide note that he had been unwell for some time and he was struggling to cope with academic pressure, the Powai police said. 

The doctor said that the student appeared extremely disturbed — and agitated —after he regained consciousness. He had to be tied down to prevent him from doing any more harm to himself. "His arms and legs were strapped to the bed and he was kept heavily sedated. The doctors said that it was a precautionary measure," a hostel mate said. 

Consultant physician Dr Neeraj Tulara, one of the doctors who monitored the student's condition in the intensive care unit, said: "He is doing fine now. A psychiatrist is attending to him." He added that the patient would be moved out of the ICU in a day or two. 

The student's brother arrived in Mumbai from Delhi on Tuesday. 

The student lived in hostel number 5 on the IIT-B campus. His friends said that unlike some students who had attempted suicide earlier, he was doing well in studies. He had a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.5 out of 10, which is considered a good score. 

"He did not seem to have any problem with his studies," said a senior who visited the student in the hospital on Wednesday. 

A hostel mate said that the student was not very social. On Monday morning, people rushed to his room after hearing screams. "We found him writhing in pain. There was a towel around his neck," the hostel mate said. 

Senior inspector YL Jadhav of the Powai police station said that a handwritten suicide note had been recovered from the hostel room. "The note is divided into three parts, addressing his mother, father and the police," Jadhav said. 

The student said in the note that no one should be blamed for his death. He also requested the police not to conduct any inquiry. "We spoke to his friends and they said that he was not suffering from any ailment. But he had complained of severe headaches," said deputy police commissioner (zone X) Vinayak Deshmukh. 

IIT-B public relations officer Rashmi Uday Kumar said that the institute would help the student get proper counselling. "His condition is stable and we hope that he is discharged in a day or two," Kumar said.

IIT-B student who tried to end life now stable - TNN

IIT-B student who tried to end life now stable

TNN | Jun 4, 2015, 01.30AM IST

MUMBAI: Barely a month after a student committed suicide at IIT-Bombay, in May, another one, this time a post-graduate student, attempted suicide at the premier institute in Powai on Monday. Though the student is out of danger, hospital sources said he was still under observation as he had suffered head injuries. The student was not undergoing counselling and academics may not be the problem in this case, claimed the institute. Police said the student tried to kill himself in three ways. 

The PhD student from the earth sciences department initially tried to end his life by hanging. But he fell and suffered head injuries. He then slit his left hand and even consumed some pills. Powai police are awaiting the report to know the nature of the pills he consumed. Before taking the extreme step, according to the police, the student had written two suicide notes, one addressed to his parents and another to the police. 

The note was written in Hindi and English. "In the note addressed to his parents, written mostly in Hindi, he told his mother not to worry about his act. He wrote that he was depressed with the routine chores of life and decided to take the extreme step after deep thought," said a police officer. 

The second note, addressed to the police, asked them to treat the case as one of suicide. Powai police senior inspector Y L Jadhav confirmed that two suicide notes recovered from his hostel room. "The note addressed to us said he was taking the decision to end his life on his own and no one should be held responsible. It said there was no need for the cops to probe the matter. The student is undergoing treatment at Hiranandani hospital," said Jadhav. 

Rashmi Kumar, the institute's spokesperson, said the student's brother has arrived from his hometown in Bihar. "Institute officials have been visiting him in hospital and we will extend counselling support too. He is stable now," she said. The student was initially taken to IIT hospital but had to be shifted to Hiranandani as he suffered head injuries. While the institute offers counselling to all students, TOI earlier reported that less than 2% students actually avail of it. 

The CEO of Powai's LH Hiranandani Hospital, Dr Sujit Chaterjee, confirmed that the student was under their care. "He is doing fine now," he said refusing to divulge any more information about the student's health condition. Sources told TOI that he was in the ICU for better monitoring. 

On May 2, Jitesh Sharma, a third-year chemical engineering student allegedly committed suicide by consuming poisonous chemicals. He was found dead on the terrace of one of the hostels. In September last year, 23-year-old Aniket Ambhore, also fell to his death from the terrace of one of the hostels.

Girl student at IIIT Hyderabad commits suicide

Girl student at IIIT Hyderabad commits suicide

By PTI |Posted 04-Feb-2015

 146 0 0 0 0

Hyderabad: A 19-year-old girl student of International Institute of Information Technologies (IIIT) in Adilabad district allegedly committed suicide in her house this evening, police said.

Swapna, a third year student at IIIT in Basar town, was found hanging from the ceiling in her home at Usarikapalli village in Telangana's Medak district, around 100km from here, Narayankhed Police Station Circle Inspector M Muni said.

As per preliminary information, the girl's mother was asked to visit the institute on Sunday and take her away, the police officer said.

A suicide note purportedly written by the girl was also found from the scene, Muni said, without revealing its content.

A case was registered and further probe is on.

- See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/girl-student-at-iiit-hyderabad-commits-suicide/15962183#sthash.PSXX3uzh.dpuf

IIT-Bombay student attempts suicide, saved by hostel mates - Mid Day

IIT-Bombay student attempts suicide, saved by hostel mates

By Shreya Bhandary |Posted 03-Jun-2015

The student’s hostel mates say he tried to hang himself but failed; he then popped some pills and began to scream in pain, alerting other students

A student’s attempted suicide rocked the IIT-Bombay campus on Monday. The 23-year-old student, who was pursuing his MTech in Earth Sciences was rushed to the IIT Bombay Hospital and then taken to to the nearby Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, where he is currently recuperating.

Hostel mates say the student had kept three suicide notes, but Powai police said no note was found. File pic

The incident comes in the wake of two students having allegedly committed suicide on the IIT campus since last September. The student was alone in his room in Hostel 5 when he allegedly attempted suicide. According to his hostel mates, he first tried to hang himself, but was unsuccessful and then immediately popped some pills.

“Due to the reaction of these pills, he started screaming in pain and we rushed to his room. He had a towel tied around his neck so we understood what was happening and immediately rushed him to the hospital on campus.

Also Read: Girl student at IIIT Hyderabad commits suicide

The doctors provided an ambulance which rushed him to Hiranandani Hospital,” said one of the students. The incident took place around 7 am on Monday and he was taken to Hiranandani Hospital around 9 am in an unconscious state. With most students away on vacation, very few are currently on campus.

The student’s roommate, too, was not around at the time of the incident. Some students and two senior officials from IIT-Bombay rushed him to the hospital. “He is originally from Bihar and his brother stays in Delhi. His brother reached Mumbai early on Tuesday morning. We are taking turns to stay with him in case he needs help,” said another student.

When mid-day contacted officials at Hiranandani Hospital, they confirmed that the student was admitted to the ICU on Monday morning. “He was brought in unconscious and a stomach wash was done, which showed some pills. He also had a towel tied around his neck but there are no major marks on his neck.

The pills have been sent for tests to check the substance,” said an official. By late Tuesday evening, students said that their friend was conscious and talking and was moved out of the ICU to the general ward.

Suicide note confusion
The Powai police said no suicide note was found but the the student’s hostel mates told mid-day that three suicide notes were found in his room. “He had addressed one suicide note to his mother, another to the police and the third to the institute authorities.

But we are not clear about what was written in them,” said a student. An official from IIT-B said that one suicide note was found. “It seems he had written that no one was to be blamed for his actions. But only the police will know the details as they checked the room after the incident,” said Rashmi Uday Kumar, IIT-B PRO. The authorities at IIT-B said they are regularly checking on the student’s status at the hospital.

“He is doing decently well academically. We are still not sure why he took the step,” said Kumar. Since this is the third such incident on the IIT-B campus since September last year, questions have also been raised on the counselling of students who are always under pressure to perform well. “Counselling in IIT is an ongoing process. Our counsellors also regularly visit hostels and talk to students to understand their problems if any,” she added.

In the past

September 4, 2014: 22-year-old Aniket Ambhore, a fourth-year student pursuing a dual degree in electrical engineering, died after falling from the sixth floor of Hostel 13. Aniket was rushed to Ghatkopar’s Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. It is still unclear whether it was an accident or a suicide.

May 2, 2015: Jitesh Sharma, a third-year chemical engineering student, was found dead on the terrace of a hostel on the campus on May 2. The 21-year-old student was reportedly suffering from depression and had been undergoing counselling for over six months. Sharma’s body was found on the terrace of hostel number 15 B on the campus. Sharma lived in hostel 8.

- See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/iit-bombay-student-attempts-suicide-saved-by-hostel-mates/16260166#sthash.pOz8U3Sr.dpuf

IIT-M ban: protests spread to Mumbai - The Hindu

MUMBAI, June 2, 2015

RAHI GAIKWAD

IIT-M ban: protests spread to Mumbai

IIT Bombay forms Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule Study Circle

Protests against the decision of IIT Madras administration to ban the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle (APSC) spread to Mumbai on Monday with over a hundred students from different institutions staging a rally at the Dadar station here.

“We see nothing wrong with what APSC has done. It is not a new group. We condemn the decision to ban it. Even if you think they did something wrong, they should have been given a fair hearing. This is just one visible instance of the administration’s autocratic behaviour. 

This issue is not limited to IIT Madras alone. Across IITs, there are various problems, such as poor implementation of the reservation systems, absence of Dalit faculty and so on. What does it mean when they say IITs are not political? Everything is political. To be political is my right,” Kranthi Kumar, a Ph.D. scholar from IIT Bombay told The Hindu.

In response to the ban, students from IIT Bombay have formed an Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule Study Circle, which staged its first protest on campus on Sunday.

“Even though we stood silently with posters, the IIT security personnel, administration and the police threatened us with adverse action. We were told to remove the mention of the HRD Ministry from our posters. So the message is ‘don’t say anything against the government’. It is very important for students across campuses to come together,” Paanki Agrawal from IIT Bombay said.

Protesters chanted the slogans such as, ‘when will achche din come?’, ‘long live Ambedkar and Periyar’, ‘down with casteism’ and demanded a revocation of the ban.

“We express our solidarity with the study circle and with the aim of annihilation of the caste system. Silencing of voices is a dangerous step,” said Bodhayan Roy from the Marxist study circle at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

“Such bans,” pointed out Sunija M.V. from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), “will obstruct the support system of marginalised students on campuses. As a result you will see more student suicides.”

Students also questioned the irony of demonising the ideas of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution.

“Are we living in dualism?” asked Jackson Khumukcham from TISS. “It is time to think about the kind of education we want to impart. ” he said.

Violation finger at IIT Madras - The Telegraph

Violation finger at IIT Madras

Our Special Correspondent

Police clash with protesters at IIT Madras on Saturday. (PTI) New Delhi, May 31: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes views IIT Madras's recent de-recognition of a Dalit-dominated students' study group as a "prima facie" violation of the law to prevent atrocities against the community. Commission chairperson P.L. Punia has sent a notice to the tech school seeking its reasons for punishing the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle, which had distributed an anti-government pamphlet ahead of celebrating B.R. Ambedkar's birthday on the campus on April 14. "You cannot deprive a Dalit student group of the right of expression and right to hold discussions. They have been targeted, it seems," Punia told The Telegraph. An anonymous complaint against the pamphlet's contents had prompted the Union human resource development ministry to seek an explanation from the institute, which de-recognised the group on May 24 on the technical ground of guideline violations. Government sources had told this newspaper that the ministry nudge would have made it difficult for the institute not to act. "Prime facie, it appears a violation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. We have asked for a detailed report," Punia said. The commission, which has taken cognisance of the matter suo motu (on its own), issued the notice on Friday. It will hold a hearing after going through the institute's report, Punia said. If, after the hearing, the commission feels the institute has failed to protect its Dalit students and has victimised them instead, it can ask the tech school to lodge an FIR against those of its members it believes responsible. "The commission has the power to direct the institute to file an FIR. We will take that decision after hearing them," Punia said. Although the anonymous complaint, forwarded by the central ministry, had accused the pamphlet of polarising Dalit and tribal students and spreading hatred against Hindus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the IIT had punished the study circle citing only guideline violations. The institute's guidelines for such student bodies, though, are vague and lack clear dos and don'ts. The only clause the study circle may be said to have violated is one forbidding student groups from using the institute's name "without official permission". Rajya Sabha MP and former Mumbai University vice-chancellor Bhalchandra Mungekar contested the IIT's stated reason. "Whatever reason the administration may give, it is just a pretext. The real reason is that the views expressed by the students were not acceptable to the powers that be," he said. The nominated MP added that IIT Madras must undo the punishment, which he described as "unconstitutional and immoral" and amounting to "suppression of the freedom of expression". Mungekar had headed a panel that probed the alleged harassment of Dalit students at Delhi's Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, where they had been awarded low marks in a 2013 examination. He told this newspaper that Dalit students continued to face harassment at many educational institutions. Some of the teachers, he said, adopt a vindictive attitude towards these students, who come from poor backgrounds and lack confidence, instead of trying to boost their morale. This leads to feelings of isolation and depression among these students, sometimes leading to suicide, he said.