IIIT student dies by suicide due to 'academic stress', probe initiated

The IIIT student had not attended classes for the last three months and had been struggling with depression linked to academic pressure

A first-year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Allahabad died by suicide after jumping from the fifth floor of his hostel, the police said on Sunday.

 

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dhoomanganj, Ajendra Yadav confirmed that the incident took place on Saturday. Speaking to PTI, Yadav said that the police had arrived immediately on the scene and rushed the injured student to SRN Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

 

The deceased (20), who hails from Telangana's Nizamabad district, was reportedly under stress after failing some of his first semester examinations, reported India Today.  

 

 

IIIT Public Relations Officer (PRO) Pankaj Mishra also stated that the student had not attended any classes for the last three months and was depressed due to academic pressure, PTI reported. On Saturday, another first-year BTech student had also died of cardiac arrest, Mishra added.

 

The student, who suffered from hearing and speech impairment, took the extreme step on the eve of his birthday after talking to his mother. "He had sent a message, asking me to take care of his younger brother and father," his mother was quoted by NDTV.

 

She further added, "I got scared on seeing the message and called him but his phone was off. Then I called his friend who went to check on him. His friend asked another student who was passing by about his whereabouts. He then abruptly disconnected the call. He called me 10 minutes later, saying my son is being taken to the hospital."

 

The deceased had secured 52nd rank in the Economically Weaker Sections category on the JEE Mains exam.

 

Students blame institute of negligence

 

Following the incident, students held a candlelight march, blaming the institution for being negligent in dealing with students' mental health issues.

 

Students have demanded the institution provide proper and regular counselling for the students to deal with academic stress, alleging a lack of proper medical facilities at the college.

 

IIIT forms panel to investigate

 

PRO Mishra said a three-member inquiry committee has been formed to investigate all aspects of the deaths of the two students and it will submit its report to the IIIT director Mukul Sharad Sutaone within a week.

 

"We understand that such moments are incredibly difficult for everyone. The institute is here to provide any necessary support to those affected. All faculty members and administration are available to help anyone in need of emotional or psychological support.," the institute said in a separate statement, as reported by NDTV.

 

Student suicides: An 'epidemic' in India

 

Student suicide deaths have been increasing at an alarming rate in India.

 

A report from last year, ‘Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India’, highlights that while the overall suicide rate has increased by 2 per cent annually, student suicide cases have surged by 4 per cent.

 

“Over the past two decades, student suicides have grown at an alarming annual rate of 4 per cent, double the national average. In 2022, male students constituted 53 per cent of the total student suicides. Between 2021 and 2022, male student suicides decreased by 6 per cent while female student suicides increased by 7 per cent,” noted the report compiled by IC3 Institute.

 

The report added, “The incidence of student suicides continues to surpass both population growth rates and overall suicide trends. Over the last decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044.”