IIT Kharagpur sets up 10-member committee amid alarming rise in student suicides

IIT Kharagpur has been forced to constitute a 10-member committee following the increasing trend of student suicides on campus, a development that has triggered deep concern among students, parents, and academic circles nationwide.

- BISWABRATA GOSWAMI

In the first five months of 2025 alone, three students—Saon Malik (12 January), Aniket Walkar (20 April), and Mohammad Asif Qamar (4 May)—have died by suicide inside campus hostels. These cases add to at least three more similar deaths reported over the past three years, taking the total toll to over six. Among the deceased are Faizan Ahmed, K. Kiran Chandra, Devika Pillai, and others—all of whom were residents of IIT Kharagpur's hostels.

The gravity of the situation has prompted the institution to launch a high-level probe into the spate of deaths. The newly formed committee, announced via a press statement on Saturday night, will include a psychiatrist, police officers, a legal expert, senior academicians, and alumni representatives. It has been tasked with submitting a comprehensive report within three months.