50 Student Suicides In 23 IITs In 5 Years: Govt
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal provided the data in a written reply to a question asked by Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N K Premachandran on Monday.
The 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have collectively witnessed 50 student suicides in the last five years, of which 14 have taken place in IIT-Guwahati alone.
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal provided this data in a written reply to a question asked by Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N K Premachandran on Monday. The information is significant in the backdrop of the recent suicide of a student named Fatima Latheef at IIT-Madras.
In the reply, Pokhriyal acknowledged that the ministry had received several representations from MPs seeking a probe into Latheef’s suicide.
“IIT Madras has informed that immediately after the incident was reported to the hostel authorities, the police were informed. The police on arrival took over the custody of the hostel room along with the materials inside and started investigations. Subsequently, the case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch of Tamil Nadu Police. IIT Madras administration is fully cooperating with the police, who are continuing with their investigations,” the reply states.
As per the data shared by the ministry, IIT-Madras and IIT-Bombay witnessed the second largest number of suicides in the last five years. Both had seven suicides each. IIT-Delhi had 4, IIT-Kharagpur 5, IIT-Kanpur witnessed one and IIT-Roorkee two.
The suicide numbers for the IIMs were relatively better. The 20 IIMs collectively witnessed 10 student suicides in the last five years.
(Source: IndianExpress Education)
