Suicides among Indian students: An epidemic - HEALTH ISSUES INDIA.COM

Suicides among Indian students: An epidemic

May 4, 2018 by Kerean Watts Leave a Comment

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On April 19, seventeen-year-old Kadali Shanmukha was found dead. He had hanged himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room.

The previous day, Bheem Singh had also been found dead. He, too, had hanged himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room.

What links the two suicides, aside from the method, is the fact that Shanmukha and Singh were both students. Shanmukha, aged just seventeen, was a senior intermediate student at the Bhashyam Junior College in Kakinada. Singh was a third-year PhD student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur.

The two cases are one of several involving Indian students taking their own lives in recent weeks. In fact, more than one student commits suicide in the country every hour. This epidemic of mental health crises among India’s student population – projected to become the biggest in the world by 2025 – is one the country’s education system is ill-prepared to address, reports suggest.

Mental health in India

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where Singh was a student before taking his own life.

Mental illness is a significant public health challenge in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies 56 million people as suffering from depression and 38 million as suffering from anxiety disorders. In 2014, India accounted for seventeen percent of the world’s suicides.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have spoken out on the issue. “Depression can be overcome. We all can play a role in helping those suffering from depression overcome it,”Modi told the nation in a Mann Ki Bhat last year.

President Kovind, meanwhile, has drawn attention to the lack of mental healthcare As many as ninety percent of those who suffer from mental health conditions in India do not receive treatment. Kovind warned of a mental health epidemic in years to come if the situation does not improve.

Both leaders have identified the stigma surrounding mental health conditions as a major barrier to those who need treatment availing it. While awareness and attitudes are improving, those with mental health conditions in India continue to face prejudice and stigma.

An illuminating survey by the Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLLF) found many Indians hold derogatory attitudes towards those with mental health conditions. For example, sixty percent of respondents agreed with the statement ‘mentally unhealthy people should have their own groups – healthy people need not be contaminated by them.’ When asked about their feelings towards the mentally ill, 76 percent of respondents said they felt sympathetic. However, a sizeable percentage admitted to feelings of disgust, hatred and apathy.

Student suicides

“While there is growing awareness of mental health issues in India,”Manipal University professor Nikhil Govind told Times Higher Education last year, “there is less awareness of the issues of university students.” This, combined with the expense of mental healthcare, means “almost nowhere in India is there a serious endeavour to mitigate this.”

The issues facing students in India are diverse. They include not only mental health conditions such as depression but issues among friendship circles, within families, and with drug and alcohol addictions. Professor Govind suggests university students, many of whom are living away from home for the first time, are ill-equipped to deal with these issues alone.

This is exacerbated by the widespread unavailability of mental healthcare, particularly from qualified therapists. As Govind points out, “students need therapists with the right, non-moralistic and truly empathetic sensibility”. Instead, he says, what they often get are “complete platitudes – about ‘getting over it’, ‘it’s a phase’, ‘don’t you want your parents to be proud of you?’, ‘buck up’ etc”.

Academic pressure

Another factor which may be pushing so many students to the brink is academic pressure. A Wired article notes many teenagers face significant pressure to gain admission to prestigious academic institutions such as IITs. Failure to do so can leave students with a sense of failure, which can prove so devastating for some they take their own lives.

The case of Kadali Shanmukha spotlights a major concern: parental pressure. The student wrote “Sorry Mom, I can’t study here”. He had reportedly been berated by his parents after failing mathematics exams. A 2015 study said about two thirds of high school students in India feel parental pressure to excel academically. It identified a positive correlation between exam-related anxiety and pressure from a student’s family.

There is rarely a single cause of suicide and no one is to blame. However, the onus is upon India’s education system to care for its students’ woes and avert further deaths. Many lack the facilities, resources and personnel to do this. Until this changes, more lives will – needlessly – be lost.

Kerean Watts

Kerean Watts is an assistant project manager for Hyderus Cyf and has been a featured writer for Health Issues India since 2016. His areas of study include politics, international relations and global development. He is based in South Wales.

IIT-Madras prof shares his idea of zero investment organic farming in India - INDIA TODAY

COULD THIS HELP PREVENT FARMER SUICIDES IN INDIA??????

IIT-Madras prof shares his idea of zero investment organic farming in India

• Aysha Anam
• New Delhi
• May 4, 2018
• UPDATED 21:12 IST
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Professor Kamakoti Veezhinathan from IIT-Madrass shares his idea of zero investment organic farming in India

In 1960s, during the period of green revolution, farmers in India were exposed to high yield variety of seeds (HYV), pesticides and fertilizers in order to maintain the food security in the country.

Although the rising demand for food was met, soil fertility was degraded to an extent that farmlands turned completely barren.

Despite that, the continuous and large usage of pesticides till date for meeting the high demand for food has led to another practice of spraying vegetables and fruits with chemicals for quick and unnatural growth.

However, people have slowly started to understand the ill effects of such fruits, vegetables and grains on the body. People are turning towards organic products.

Since the organic products market is at a nascent stage right now in India, people have a lot of questions regarding it.

To get answers to many such queries and to know more about organic farming, India Today Education went all the way to IIT-Madras for an exclusive chat with Professor Kamakoti Veezhinathan who is growing 55 variety of traditional rice in his very own organic farm in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.

THE DAMAGE REGULAR FOOD HAS DONE TO OUR COUNTRY

Prof Kamakoti Veezhinathan, IIT-M, said that people refrain themselves from growing and consuming organic food because it is expensive. "Organic food is 1.5 to 2 times costlier than the regular food, and the price of organic food is high because the yield is low."

Demand for organic food is rising in India (Representational picture)

If we learn about the damage caused by regular food to our intestines, we would stop eating it at all. If you switch to organic, you will consume less quantity of food but you will feel more energetic, claims Prof Veezhinathan.

Prior to the use of fertilisers, Indian soil was an epitome of fertility. However, these hazardous chemicals have done so much damage to the soil that it has lost its nutritional balance as well as the capacity to produce better food. In order to covert a farmland from regular products to organics, one has to wait for at least one or two years for the soil to settle, from the third year you can start the cultivation and reap profits by the fifth year," he says.

At least 99 pesticides should have been banned in India: Supreme Court

Pesticides are not only hazardous to the soil but also heavy on the pockets of the farmers, which apparently became one of the many reasons for suicides in India.

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the whole country is facing the repercussions pesticides.

Due to the overuse of pesticides in the field, people living close to the farmland are becoming prone to cancer. In a state like Punjab, which is known as the breadbasket of India was recorded with 130 cancer patients per 100,000 people - in line with the national average of 137 as per the survey conducted by the state government in 2010. In fact, a number of cancer patients are rising high, and, now, the state has a separate train for cancer patients who travel to Bikaner for specialist treatment.

"The basic motivation of organic farming came when I had two early deaths in my family. Two of my very close cousins died because of cancer despite the fact that they were completely teetotallers, they had no bad habits. The only thing that we could trace was pesticides, which they could have consumed in their food," says Prof Veezhinathan.

In a world of chemicals, it is a herculean task to bring a pure bowl of rice to your dinner table.

Prof Veezhinathan has created a canal boundary around his farm, disjointing it from the adjacent farms whose soil is filled with chemicals and pesticides.

Moreover, he has also fenced his farm with a layer of trees. "I have planted a couple of trees creating a boundary of two to three feet around my farm with teak trees and other variety of trees so as to avoid the effect of pesticides on my crop," he adds.

START YOUR OWN ORGANIC FARM

The Government of India is supporting organic farming. There are several schemes and subsidies favouring organic farming.

With organic farming, the farmer need not have to bear the burden of expensive chemicals on their pockets.

                           Representational picture

"If you have two cows, you can handle six-10 acres of the farm. If you have one cow, then you can handle five acres of land, no manure is needed. All you need is seeds and if you are healthy enough to do transplantation and harvesting, you can start your farm right away. If you are not physically capable to handle the entire farm yourself, then five or 10 farmers can come together to form a group. This way we can do zero cost farming," he says.

PROF VEEZHINATHAN SHARES HIS INNOVATIVE ZERO INVESTMENT FARMING PLAN

Prof Veezhinathan motivates the entire country to produce chemical-free crop.

Here's how you can start your own organic farm:

The first step is to get a land. So, I took some 6.5 acres of my land and then we fenced it.

Secondly, you need to start using the organic manure. The main ingredients for preparing the manure are cow dung, cow urine, goat dung, and green manure. I used traditional manures in my field 'Panchagavya' constituting cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd, ghee and 'agniastra' which is made by chilli.

Thirdly, put the green manure in your field, which is available at a throwaway price in the market. Then allow four-five goats to roam in your field for two or three days, for their excreta is a good manure.

Fourthly, it is time now for the seedling after which you are free to do the transplantation.

Fifth and the foremost step is water management, you can manage water motors with solar energy. I have a solar cell panel in my field with which I pump water from 90 feet deep bore well. The interesting fact about using solar energy in a farm is that you can avoid salts and other harmful chemicals coming to your field from the adjacent farms because the speed of the water is so low. However, generally, farmers, who use high-speed motors fetch salts along with water.

Also, you are able to maintain the water table, for instance, if your pipe sucks a bucket of water from wells at a very low speed, then the wells will refill the void in the meantime you suck another portion of water.

I have also channelized my field with different pipes. If field 'one' requires water, I open the motor of that particular field instead of letting the water cross through all other fields. In this manner, I conserve water.

                Paddy field (Representational picture)

ORGANIC BOWL OF RICE FROM THANJAVUR

Shunning the myths and false notions regarding the fragility of organic farming, Prof Veezhinathan shares his stories showing the endurance level of an organic crop.

PEST

There was a sudden bust of disease in Thanjavur, fields were full of Brown plant leafhopper (pogayan). While the entire paddy in which fertilizers were used fell off, not even one small infection affected my farm.

RAIN

The second shocking fact I came across regarding the organic farming was that it was able to withstand the rain water for four days in a strech, while the normal harvest in the adjacent farms fell off, despite keeping a cover of chemicals.

BIRDS

Thirdly, since the time I started growing an organic crop in my area birds come often to our fields. I remember, one fine morning, when I was crossing the farm, my field was all green though it was the time for it to turn yellow. When I came closer and clapped, around one thousand parrots flew off and it was a breathtaking scene. While the adjacent farms had not even a single parrot. This shows birds have a taste for organic food and they will only add to your farm.

18-YEAR-OLD GIRL HANGS SELF FOR FAILING IN IIT JEE - Daily Pioneer

18-YEAR-OLD GIRL HANGS SELF FOR FAILING IN IIT JEE

Thursday, 03 May 2018 | Staff Reporter | Bhopal | in Bhopal

Depressed over failing to clear IIT JEE exam, an 18-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging with the ceiling at her residence in Kasturba Nagar under Govindpura police station on Wednesday.

Police said that the deceased Isha Upadhyay failed to clear JEE exam, she was preparing for the examination for the past one and was depressed over her results which was declared on Monday.

The deceased after having dinner at around 11 pm went to her room and was later found hanging in the morning.

The family members found her hanging at around 8 am after she failed to respond when they checked her in her room.

In the preliminary investigation police have found the reason of the suicide could be the failure to clear exams but it could be ascertained in the further investigation said police. The statements of the family and friends are yet to be recorded.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old youth committed suicide by hanging with the ceiling at Dwarka Nagar under Bajaria police station area on Wednesday. The deceased identified as Lokesh Bhore was found hanging and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.

The deceased used to work with a contractor at Hoshangabad government paper mill and used to live with his mother and brother. Police said that the reason behind the suicide remained unknown and would be investigated.Body was sent for the post mortem after the preliminary investigation. The police have registered a case under section 174 of the IPC and have started further investigation.

In India, high-pressure exams are creating a student suicide crisis - Wired UK

In India, high-pressure exams are creating a student suicide crisis

From across India, thousands of students travel to the northern city of Kota to receive private coaching in the hopes of being accepted into one of the country's top technical colleges. And for some, the pressure to succeed is overwhelming

By SIRIN KALE

With only 23 prestigious Institutes of Technology and thousands of hopeful applicants, competition amongst India’s brightest minds is intense

Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images

For Indian teenagers, the pressure to excel in a country of 1.3 billion people is immense. And at no other time do these pressures metastasise more than in the month of April: exam season.

This is when the nation’s brightest minds sit the examinations that will determine whether they secure entrance to one of India’s prestigious Institutes of Technology (IITs), medical institutes, or business schools. They dream of becoming engineers, dentists, or doctors. But with only 23 IITs in one of the most densely populated nations on Earth, and vastly over-subscribed dental and medical colleges, competition is intense.

To prepare, students from across India travel to the historic northern city of Kota, spending months or even years away from their family and home. Whether the children of manual labourers or business tycoons, all have travelled to Kota for one reason: academic glory.

Kota is the epicentre of India’s private coaching industry. Here, students enrol at one of the many for-profit residential institutes that prepare teenagers for their university entrance exams. For months, even years, teens who’ve barely left their parental homes before live alone, in austere hostel rooms, cramming morning, noon, and night in the hope of a secure, financially lucrative future. They leave their hostel rooms early in the morning to avoid the midday heat and walk down cracked pavements to stuffy classrooms, where they crouch over desks. 

At lunchtime they wolf chutney-filled dosas before returning to their desks to cram some more. The most studious return to their hostel rooms and study alone, well into the night.

But most of the teenagers who come to Kota, this effort proves futile. And for some, the threat of failure can prove psychologically overwhelming – and even fatal. In recent years, Kota has earned a more unfortunate reputation for a spate of suicides.

Another IIT student allegedly commits suicide within a week - Hindustan Times

Another IIT student allegedly commits suicide within a week

Apr 19, 2018 07:39 IST

Another IIT student allegedly commits suicide within a week

Hindustan Times

• Playing now
  Another IIT student allegedly commits suicide within a week01:13

about the video

A student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room on 18th April. The deceased was identified as Bheem Singh. He hailed from Faridabad and was studying in the third year of the Ph.D. programme in the mechanical engineering department. The police have found a suicide note from his room and an investigation into the matter has been initiated. Deputy Director of IIT-Kanpur, Manindra Agarwal said that the reason behind the suicide is not clear. The letter has been sent to the forensic team of the police. On 13th April, a 21-year-old student of the IIT, Delhi, allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room. As per his note, he was suffering from depression because he was sexually abused as a child. (Muhammed Asad)

IIT aspirant kills self for 'lack of thrills'

IIT aspirant kills self for 'lack of thrills'

TNN | Updated: Apr 20, 2018, 10:16 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

• It is the 8th suicide by a coaching student in Kota this year
• At least seven coaching students committed suicide in Kota in 2017

KOTA: A student from Bihar, who was taking coaching for IIT-JEE in Kota, committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room on Wednesday night. 

In his suicide note, the 17-and-a-half years old boy wrote, “I did not find any adventure in this world, so I want to leave (it).” 

He mentioned that neither his parents nor the coaching institute was responsible for the extreme step he was taking, police said. 

“The boy was identified as Rishab Kumar and was a resident of Mugal Sarai in Bihar. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his hostel room on Road Number-5,” said Hazari Lal, an Assistant SI at Kota’s Vigyan Nagar police station. Lal is investigating the suicide case. 

“Kumar’s friend from Bihar who lives in an adjoining room of the hostel, had knocked at the former’s door around 9pm to study together but there was no response,” said the policeman investigating the case. After knocking a few times Kumar’s friend peeped into the room through the AC window hole and saw him hanging from the fan. The hostel warden and subsequently the police were informed. 

“Kumar had passed Class XII and had been preparing for IIT-JEE entrance test at a coaching institute in the city for the last two years,” the ASI said, adding that it was reported to be Kumar’s second attempt for the entrance test. 

According to his mates in the hostel, Kumar was an average student. ASI Hazari Lal informed that police have sought record of his studies in the institute, .

In the suicide note recovered from his room, the deceased had made a request that his parents and coaching institute may not be troubled, the ASI said. 

Kumar’s body has been placed at a hospital mortuary for the postmortem to be carried out after the arrival of his parents, who have been informed of the tragedy, the policeman said.

It is the 8th suicide by a coaching student in Kota this year. At least seven coaching students committed suicide in Kota in 2017. The district administration and the management of the coaching institutes had initiated measures to check suicides and several activities were carried out in 2016.

IIT Kanpur scholar who committed suicide had shown no sign of trauma, says father - Hindustan Times

IIT Kanpur scholar who committed suicide had shown no sign of trauma, says father

The father of third-year mechanical PhD student Bhim Singh who was found hanging in his IIT Kanpur hostel room on Wednesday evening said his son had never discussed any type of physical, mental, financial or emotional problem

EDUCATION Updated: Apr 19, 2018 20:29 Ist

HT Correspondent  Hindustan Times, Kanpur

A third-year student at the Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur committed suicide in his hostel room.(File Photo)

The father of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur Dalit scholar who committed suicide on Wednesday said his son had not given any indication that he was under mental trauma.

Karan Singh, 67, the father of third-year mechanical PhD student Bhim Singh who was found hanging in his hostel room on Wednesday evening, said his son had spoken with his elder brother Kailash Kumar the day before.

“He, however, did not give any indication of tension in his life. When Bhim came home a fortnight ago, then too he did not speak of any problem. I am shocked and have no idea as to why he took such an extreme step,” Karan Singh, a retired government servant from Faridabad, said.

Karan is a retired government servant and has six children, four sons and two daughters. Bhim was the fourth child and the youngest son.

Karan said that Bhim had never discussed any type of physical, mental, financial or emotional problem either with family members or with his close friends.

Since the police have sealed Bhim’s hostel room , Karan could not see the room or his son’s belongings such as mobile phone and laptop.

He said he would take any action, if needed, after getting the police report based on the mobile messages, laptop correspondence and other chits police have recovered from the room and also after talking to Bhim’s PhD supervisor J Ramkumar.

“At present I have no complaints to make against anyone,” he added.

Karan Singh said he wanted to meet Ramkumar but was told that he was out of station. “When I called him on his mobile, he refused to talk. He did not even offer a word of sympathy. This has pained me.” Karan Singh said he wanted to talk to Ramkumar to know if Bhim had any problem relating to his research.

IIT Kanpur director Abhay Karandikar who took charge only on Wednesday, said Bhim had a very good academic record and hence his academic performance could not be viewed as the reason for his suicide.

“I would have definitely instituted an enquiry into his suicide matter had there been little possibility of his academic achievements putting him under depression,” the director said

Bhim’s friends said he was very brilliant and friendly and loved cricket. He had a scholarship for his research, they added.

Amit Sharma, who identified himself as a close friend, said Bhim’s suicide was shocking. A week back they had gone on a three-day tour to Rajasthan and had enjoyed the trip, Sharma said.

“Bhim was a cheerful guy. He used to share his personal feelings with me. He had no girlfriend nor did he have any ambition of having one. He was only concerned with higher studies,” said Sharma.

Karan Singh will take Bhim’s body to Faridabad for cremation in a special vehicle provided by IIT Kanpur.

17-year-old IIT aspirant commits suicide in Kota - Hindustan Times

17-year-old IIT aspirant commits suicide in Kota

A postmortem will be conducted after his parents arrive in Kota.
JAIPUR Updated: Apr 19, 2018 22:01 Ist
HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, Kota


The student hanged himself from his hostel room in Vigyan Nagar. (HT Photo/ Representative image )

A 17-year-old student, preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) at a coaching institute in Rajasthan’s Kota, committed suicide in Vigyan Nagar area of Kota City.

Station house officer, Vigyan Nagar police station, Muneendra Singh said that Rishab Kumar from Begusarai district in Bihar was taking coaching in Kota.

Rishabh hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room in Vigyan Nagar. Later, the hostel owner informed the police about the incident.

The police have sent the body to the mortuary. Singh said that a suicide note has been recovered from the room in which Rishabh has cited trouble in life as the cause of his suicide.

A postmortem will be conducted after his parents arrive in Kota.

This is the eighth suicide by a student in Kota this year.

Kota, considered the coaching capital of India, has witnessed more than 60 suicides in the past five years. Seven students had committed suicide in Kota in 2017, while 16 had ended their lives in 2016. Around 1.50 lakh students enrol every year in the 40-odd coaching institutes in the district to prepare for professional engineering and medical entrance examinations.

IIT-Kanpur student commits suicide in hostel room, no suicide note found - ZEE News

IIT-Kanpur student commits suicide in hostel room, no suicide note found

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday by hanging himself from the ceiling in his hostel room.

Apr 19, 2018, 17:14 PM IST 

IIT Kanpur student allegedly commits suicide - Business Standard

IIT Kanpur student allegedly commits suicide

IIT Kanpur student allegedly commits suicide

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 19 (ANI): An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) mechanical branch student, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel in Kanpur on Tuesday. Manindra Agarwal, Deputy Director of IIT-Kanpur said "Reason behind the suicide is unclear and a letter was recovered, which is in the possession of forensic team".

Dalit student commits suicide at IIT-Kanpur hostel room - TNN

Dalit student commits suicide at IIT-Kanpur hostel room

Abhinav Malhotra | TNN | Updated: Apr 18, 2018, 23:07 IST

KANPUR: A dalit student of IIT-Kanpur allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room on Wednesday. 

Bhim Singh, the deceased, was studying in the third year of PhD programme in mechanical engineering department. 

The Kalyanpur police, which reached the hostel on receiving information, broke the door and took the body into its possession. The body was sent for post-mortem after all necessary formalities were completed. 

Police said that the student used a bedsheet to hang himself. They added that he was a native of Faridabad and had done his BTech from NIT, Warangal. He had joined the PHd course at IIT-Kanpur in 2015. 

The autopsy would be conducted on Thursday after the arrival of Singh's parents. 

While the cause of suicide is not clear, the police found a suicide note in the room. The note was reportedly torn into pieces, but was collected by the forensics team.

Police said though the incident reportedly took place in the noon, the body was retrieved after 7pm.

Talking to TOI, institute’s deputy director Prof Manindra Agarwal said, “Bhim Singh, a Dalit student, was pursuing PhD in the department of mechanical engineering. The reason behind his suicide is not clear. A letter, which appears to be a suicide note, has been recovered and is now in in the possession of the forensic team of the police.”

TOP COMMENT

Why does the headline say "A dalit student committed suicide". Does the headline need to have the word "Dalit" in it. You guys are the shittiest newspaper company.

Ankur

“It is not clear when did the student commit suicide. The exact time of his death would be known after postmortem examination,” he added.

SHO Kalyanpur Satish Kumar Singh said, “The student, identified as Bhim Singh, was a native of Faridabad. Parents of the deceased student have been informed and would reach here on Thursday. After their arrival, postmortem examination would be conducted. 

Dalit student in IIT Kanpur commits suicide, cause yet to be ascertained; friends say he was under 'severe stress' - First Post

Dalit student in IIT Kanpur commits suicide, cause yet to be ascertained; friends say he was under 'severe stress'

India PTI Apr 19, 2018 09:12:59 IST

Kanpur: A Dalit student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday by hanging himself from the ceiling in his hostel room, police said.

Police identified the victim as Bheem Singh, a third-year student of PhD, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar.

Singh, who hailed from Ferozabad, was staying at a hostel on IIT campus, the SSP said.

Singh's friends told police that he was under severe stress, the SSP said, and added that the reason behind the extreme step is yet to be ascertained as the victim had left no suicide note behind."

Singh was last seen on Tuesday, the SSP said.

Updated Date: Apr 19, 2018 09:12 AM

Dalit PhD student at IIT Kanpur commits suicide, friends say he was under stress - India Today

Dalit PhD student at IIT Kanpur commits suicide, friends say he was under stress

• IndiaToday.in
• Kanpur
• April 19, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

• Dalit PhD student at IIT-Kanpur allegedly commits suicide
• He hailed from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh
• Victim's friends told police that he was under stress

The Dalit PhD student at IIT-Kanpur allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room.

A Dalit student, pursuing PhD from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room on Wednesday.

The victim has been identified as Bheem Singh, a third-year student of PhD in the mechanical engineering department of IIT-Kanpur.

The victim belonged to Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday, he allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling of his hostel room.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar said that the victim's, Bheem Singh, friends told police that he was suffering from severe stress.

Deputy Director of IIT-Kanpur Manindra Agarwal said, "A letter has been recovered and is in the possession of the forensic team of the police."

Police are yet to ascertain the exact reason for the alleged suicide and an investigation is underway.

(Inputs from agencies)

IIT-Kanpur student commits suicide - The Hindu

IIT-Kanpur student commits suicide

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

KANPUR , APRIL 19, 2018 01:57 IST

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday by hanging himself from the ceiling in his hostel room, the police said.

Police identified the victim as Bheem Singh, a third-year student of Ph.D, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar.

Singh, who hailed from Ferozabad, was staying at a hostel on IIT campus, the SSP said.

Singh’s friends told police that he was under severe stress, the SSP said.

IIT suicide: Cops file FIR, move case to WB Police - Kaplan Herald

IIT suicide: Cops file FIR, move case to WB Police

NEW DELHI: A day after a 21-year-old committed suicide in his, police registered a under sections of based on the contents of the . The FIR will be forwarded to the West Bengal Police for further action. 

Sections of POCSO might also be invoked as the youth claimed that he was being assaulted since he was a child. The youth’s elder brother is being questioned regarding the incident.

Preliminary autopsy reports suggested that the youth might have consumed some medicines also before hanging himself. He used to keep anti-depressant drugs ever since he came to Delhi.

Police officers said that the suicide note — written in Bengali — was translated on Saturday, in which he sought punishment for the accused.

The note would now be treated as a dying declaration. Police have registered an FIR under section 377 IPC (unnatural sex) on the basis of the note.

The youth’s elder brother is being questioned to find out why the matter was not reported to the police, though he had attempted to commit suicide earlier also.

Meanwhile, classmates of the victim said that even as he did not show any signs of depression, he remained aloof from the others. “We thought it was the language barrier that kept him aloof from the rest of the class, but now we are shocked by the content of his suicide note,” said one of his classmates.

Police sources said that the accused kins are little older than the victim and were assaulting him since he was a teenager.

IIT boy spoke of 'pressure' - Telegraph India

IIT boy spoke of 'pressure'

Our Special Correspondent Apr 15, 2018 00:00 IST

Tribeni: Naru Gopal Maloo, the IIT-Delhi student found hanging in his hostel on Friday, often spoke of pressure to perform well in semester exams, his brother said on Saturday.

Maloo was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday after he overdosed on sleeping pills. He was discharged on Thursday.

"He would often speak of academic pressure at the IIT," his brother Bechuram who was with him during his hospital stay said while speaking to Metro from their home in Basudevpur in Hooghly's Tribeni.

"I used to counsel him. I really don't know if it was just the pressure or something else that drove him to take the extreme step."

A former student of the Presidency University, Maloo, 21, was a first-year MSc student of chemistry at the IIT.

On Saturday, Bechuram and other family members brought the body to their home from Delhi.

Maloo was the youngest of three brothers. Their father, Shyamal Maloo, used to be a vegetable vendor at a nearby market. While Bechuram is a civil engineer and lives in Delhi, his other brother is a vegetable vendor.

"He used to share his room with two others. They were not there in the room when he hanged himself possibly after midnight," Bechuram said. "We have sought the post-mortem report from the Delhi police. I will meet the cops next month."

Students struggling to cope with academic pressure at IITs is not new. Between January and April 2017, four suicides were reported at the IITs across the country.

T. R. Sreekrishnan, dean of students affairs, had said Maloo was a bright student.

"He had secured 7.2 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in the first semester. He had been given admission on the basis of good performance in the Joint Admission Test conducted by the IITs," Sreekrishnan had said.

The dean had said there were no signs of depression in Maloo till he overdosed on sleeping pills.

The student had never visited the counselling centre on the campus, Sreekrishnan had said.

IIT suicide: Cops file FIR, move case to WB Police - TNN

IIT suicide: Cops file FIR, move case to WB Police

TNN | Updated: Apr 15, 2018, 02:14 IST

NEW DELHI: A day after a 21-year-old IIT student committed suicide in his hostel room, police registered a case under sections of unnatural sexual assault based on the contents of the suicide note. The FIR will be forwarded to the West Bengal Police for further action. 

Sections of POCSO might also be invoked as the youth claimed that he was being assaulted since he was a child. The youth’s elder brother is being questioned regarding the incident. 

Preliminary autopsy reports suggested that the youth might have consumed some medicines also before hanging himself. He used to keep anti-depressant drugs ever since he came to Delhi. 

Police officers said that the suicide note — written in Bengali — was translated on Saturday, in which he sought punishment for the accused. 

The note would now be treated as a dying declaration. Police have registered an FIR under section 377 IPC (unnatural sex) on the basis of the note.

The youth’s elder brother is being questioned to find out why the matter was not reported to the police, though he had attempted to commit suicide earlier also. 

Meanwhile, classmates of the victim said that even as he did not show any signs of depression, he remained aloof from the others. “We thought it was the language barrier that kept him aloof from the rest of the class, but now we are shocked by the content of his suicide note,” said one of his classmates.

Police sources said that the accused kins are little older than the victim and were assaulting him since he was a teenager.

HAUNTED BY CHILDHOOD RAPES BY COUSINS, IIT BOY COMMITS SUICIDE - Daily Pioneer

HAUNTED BY CHILDHOOD RAPES BY COUSINS, IIT BOY COMMITS SUICIDE

Saturday, 14 April 2018 | Kanika Mehta | New Delhi

A 21-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his hostel room in South Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area on Friday.

In the one page suicide note scribbled in Bangla, Naru Gopal Maloo — a first year MSc Chemistry student who had joined the premiere institute in July last year — stated that he was living in constant guilt due to the sexual abuses he faced at the hands of his two cousins during his childhood in Hooghly in West Bengal.

Police said the suicide was reported to them around 8.05 am by the security guards of the Nilgiri hostel when the room in which the deceased lived was found to be locked.

A senior police investigator told The Pioneer that in the suicide note, Naru — a native of Tribeni area in Hooghly district — said he was first sexually exploited by his cousin brother (badi mausi ka beta) when he was 10 years old.

“Later, his mama ka beta (maternal brother) also started indulging in sexual acts with him. In the note, he mentioned, he derived pleasure from these acts.

While he got used to it, it was only when he came to study at IIT Delhi last year in July that he realised that he has grown accustomed to the child sexual abuse and gradually developed feelings of guilt. In the note, he has sought forgiveness from his parents and has clearly mentioned that he wants strictest punishment to those who ruined his childhood,” said the official.

“Naru lived with two other students in the room. Since he was studying till late on Thursday night, he asked others to leave him alone in the room. The roommates spoke to him last at around 12:30am. In the morning, despite repeatedly knocking on the door, when Naru did not open the door, security guards were called in. Through grilled window, the roommates and guard found Naru hanging from the ceiling,” said a senior investigator.

Milind Dumbere, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) said it is not the first time that Naru tried to end his life. “On questioning his roommates, we found that Naru had tried to commit suicide on April 10 also by consuming a heavy dose of sleeping pills but was taken to the Safdarjung hospital where he was discharged after treatment.”

His roommates alleged that even after knowing Naru’s suicidal thoughts, his brother Bachoo Ram dropped him back to the hostel on Thursday afternoon, the day he was discharged from the Safdarjung hospital on Thursday morning. Police said the deceased was counselled by his elder brother, Bachoo Ram.

The Delhi Police officials said they have asked their counterparts in the West Bengal Police to register a Zero FIR. Police said they will add relevant sections in FIR accordingly. “We will also be questioning the relatives who have been named in the FIR,” said the police officer.

Naru, who completed his graduation from the Presidency Univeristy in Kolkata, was the youngest among three sons and he is survived by his parents and siblings.

Police said the post mortem of the deceased was conducted at the Safdarjung hospital mortuary after which it was handed over to his elder brother, Bachoo. Further investigation is on, they said.

Delhi: IIT student ends life, note speaks of ‘abuse’ - TNN

Delhi: IIT student ends life, note speaks of ‘abuse’

Somreet Bhattacharya | TNN | Updated: Apr 14, 2018, 09:08 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

• Police said his one-page suicide note reveals he was suffering from depression over being sexually abused since he was a child.
• The student, from Hooghly district in West Bengal, has named a few people in the note written in Bengali

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old MSc student at IIT Delhi allegedly committed suicide at his hostel room on Friday morning. Police said his one-page suicide note reveals he was suffering from depression over being sexually abused since he was a child. 

The student, from Hooghly district in West Bengal, has named a few people in the note written in Bengali. Police officials were informed about the death at 8.05am, when a roommate found the youth hanging from the ceiling fan with a pajama. 

The suicide note was kept on a table beside his bed. The body was sent for an autopsy to Safdurjung Hospital and later handed over to his family. 

His elder brother told the cops that the youth had attempted suicide on April 10 by consuming sleeping pills. He was admitted to Safdurjung Hospital after which his brother took him to his apartment and counselled him for two days. On Thursday morning, he dropped the youth back to his hostel. 

Sources said police will register an FIR under sections of unnatural sexual assault and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) on the basis of the suicide note and send it the West Bengal police.

His family members have told the police that he had completed his graduation from a well-known university in Kolkata and had joined IIT two months back for his masters. 

He had never complained about being sexually assaulted when he was in Kolkata and he had shown no signs of depression either. The note has been sent for forensic analysis.

His brother is taking the body home on Saturday.

IIT-Delhi student found hanging in hostel room, blames sexual assault in note - Hindustan Times

IIT-Delhi student found hanging in hostel room, blames sexual assault in note

Gopal Maloo, from Hooghly in West Bengal, was a first year student of Masters in Chemistry at the institute. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his room at Nilgiri Hostel.

DELHI Updated: Apr 14, 2018 09:11 Ist

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Police said that Maloo had on April 10 tried to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills, and was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.(Representative Photo)

A 21-year-old IIT-Delhi student hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room in the early hours of Friday. The deceased student left behind a suicide note in which he suggested that he was taking the extreme step as he was a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood.

Police said the student in his suicide note also said that paedophiles should be punished severely.

Police, after preliminary investigations, have found that the student had two days ago made a failed suicide attempt. “The deceased was a first-year student of IIT-Delhi. We received a call around 8am from the college that a student had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room,” said deputy commissioner of police (south west) Milind Mahadeo Dumbere.

The officer said that in the suicide note the victim alleged he was depressed and was committing suicide because of his childhood trauma. DCP Dumbere did not divulge the contents of the note, but another investigator said that the suicide note details how the student was sexually abused while growing up and how he came out of it but was still haunted by memories of the past.

“In the hand-written note left behind, he states that at a very early age he was abused by his cousins, both of who are elder than him. Till the time he came to Delhi, the abuse continued,” said the officer.

He has also mentioned that after coming to Delhi, he continued to be traumatised and hated himself despite being the victim. 

Seeking forgiveness from his family, the 21-year-old has mentioned how he was depressed and had no options left.

His elder brother told the police that the student had attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills on Tuesday. He was then admitted to Safdarjung hospital and discharged. An official from IIT-Delhi said “He was earlier taken to a hospital after he took more than prescribed dose of medicine. His brother accompanied him during the hospital stay then. We were later told that the young man was depressed and was seeing a doctor. The institute was not aware of his problem as it is difficult to know of these issues unless the student opens up to us.”

Police said neither the family nor the institute had informed the police about the boy’s condition. An officer said that the young man was last seen on Thursday night. “He has told his roommates to leave him alone because he wanted to sleep. Later, he locked the room door from inside,” said an officer, adding that the incident came to light when one of his roommates informed everyone that the man was not answering to repeated knocks.

Police said they are looking into the case and are seeking legal opinion if a case of sexual assault could be registered in Delhi based on the suicide note.

IIT-Delhi student commits suicide in hostel room - TNN

IIT-Delhi student commits suicide in hostel room

Pankhuri Yadav | TNN | Updated: Apr 13, 2018, 18:44 IST

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old MSc student from IIT-Delhi committed suicide at his hostel room on Friday morning, three days after he attempted committing suicide by consuming excessive sleeping pills. 

Police said that the victim was identified as Gopal Maloo, who hailed from West Bengal and was a first year student here. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan by one his friends in the morning, soon after which he alerted others present in the Nilgiri hostel, who further informed the cops about the same.

Police said that they rushed a team to the hostel and the man was taken to hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

DCP (south west) Milind Dumbere said that Maloo attempted committing suicide on Tuesday evening as well, but he was found lying unconscious in time and shifted to Safdarjung hospital, where he was given medication and discharged later. Post this, he was given counselling as well.

Since then, his brother Bachoo shifted in with him. He had stepped out of the room and moments later found his brother hanging.

Police said that they have found a one page suicide note from his possession and they are investigating into the matter. 

IIT Delhi: 21-year-old student commits suicide, hangs self to death in hostel room - Financial Express

IIT Delhi: 21-year-old student commits suicide, hangs self to death in hostel room

In another shocking case of student suicide, a 21-year-old student of Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday morning.

By: FE Online | New Delhi | Published: April 13, 2018 6:07 PM

In another shocking case of student suicide, a 21-year-old student of Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday morning.

In another shocking case of student suicide, a 21-year-old student of Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday morning. He lived in the Nilgiri Boys hostel but was a resident of Hoogli in West Bengal. The student who was in his first year in the prestigious institution and was pursuing Masters of Science in Chemistry. Although the reason behind him taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained, it is reported that the deceased had attempted suicide earlier on April 10, 2018, by consuming sleeping pills. However, he was saved after being admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital. After this incident, his brother, Bachoo ram, stayed with him and counselled him.

The incident comes amid a string of similar incidents of IIT students committing suicide in recent times. On April 5, another 21-year-old student from IIT Bombay allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her house. It was reported that she was under severe mental pressure due to her forthcoming exams and was also undergoing treatment for depression.

Earlier in March, a student of IIT-Roorkee also committed suicide in his hostel room by hanging himself from the ceiling fan. The deceased was identified as Abhijeet Singh Bansiya. Roorkee police had reported that although no suicide note was found in his room in the campus, it was possible that the victim was grappling with depression. The students of the college said that Bansiya didn’t engage much with other students, and he could have been under depression.

With the increasing cases of suicides in IITs, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across India had geared up to take measures in 2017 to prevent such cases. The steps included parent-teacher meetings and counselling for the distressed students. 

In fact, IIT Kharagpur introduced an initiative of tree-hugging movements, whereas IIT Guwahati organised a creativity centre for students to dance, sing and play instruments to lessen the burden of studies in students.

IIT- Delhi student hangs self to death in hostel room - Indian Express

IIT- Delhi student hangs self to death in hostel room

By Express News Service  |   Published: 13th April 2018 01:24 PM  |  

NEW DELHI: An IIT Delhi student committed suicide by hanging himself from the   ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday morning. 

According to the Delhi police, the victim has been identified as Gopal Maloo, a student of MSc Chemistry.

"A resident of Hoogli, West Bengal, Gopal hung himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room today morning. He was living at the Nilgiri Hostel," said DCP South West Milind Dumbre. 

The deceased had on Wednesday reportedly consumed sleeping pills but was admitted in Safdarjung hospital and later discharged, he further added.

The reason behind the student's extreme step is yet to be ascertained as further investigation is still on.

21-Year-Old IIT Delhi Student Allegedly Commits Suicide By Hanging From The Ceiling Fan - NDTV

21-Year-Old IIT Delhi Student Allegedly Commits Suicide By Hanging From The Ceiling Fan

IIT Delhi student commits suicide. Few days ago he was saved, he had taken an overdose of sleeping pills

All India | Edited by Debjani Chatterjee (with inputs from ANI) | Updated: April 13, 2018 16:00 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

1. IIT Delhi student commits suicide
2. 21-year-old Gopal Maloo was a 1st year M.Sc student
3. Gopal Maloo had once before tried to kill himself

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday morning reports news agency ANI.

Gopal Maloo, 21, was pursuing a course in Chemistry. He was a first year M.Sc student.

Mr Maloo, who came from Hooghly district of West Bengal, was staying in the Nilgiri boys hostel at IIT, Delhi. 

Police have not yet found a suicide note.

Reports say, Mr Maloo had earlier attempted to commit suicide on April 10, by consuming sleeping pills. He was then rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and later discharged after treatment.

The student's brother came down from Hooghly; stayed with him and took him for counselling.

On April 5, Vinisha Yadav, a 21-year-old student from IIT Bombay allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her residence. Vinisha's family said she was under severe stress and was undergoing treatment for depression at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. Vinisha was preparing for her third semester examinations said her family.