The minister’s disclosure, made in response to a query from Congress MLA Dasarathi Gamango in the state assembly, has reignited scrutiny over KIIT’s handling of the case. Lamsal’s death on February 16, linked to alleged harassment by fellow student Advik Srivastava, triggered widespread protests by Nepalese students and diplomatic tensions between India and Nepal.

Nepal student had filed harassment complaint with KIIT authorities: Odisha minister

In a shocking revelation, Odisha’s higher education minister Suryavanshi Suraj stated on Friday that a 20-year-old student from Nepal, who tragically died by suicide at the KIIT campus in Bhubaneswar in February, had filed a “sexual harassment” complaint against the university authorities nearly eleven months prior. The minister’s statement came in response to a query by Congress MLA Dasarathi Gamango in the state assembly.

According to Suraj, in a written reply to the assembly, the woman had filed the harassment complaint on March 12, 2024. The minister further informed that a high-level committee formed by the state government is currently investigating the matter in detail. The university has confirmed the formation of an internal committee in line with UGC guidelines to address the issue.

Suraj also mentioned that the higher education department had not provided any grants to KIIT during the last financial year. As reported by The Indian Express, the investigation into the complaint is ongoing.

While KIIT formed an internal committee per UGC guidelines, critics, including the student’s father, Sunil Lamsal, accuse the university of negligence and mistreatment. The Odisha government has launched a high-level probe, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an on-spot inquiry, with a report due by March 10, 2025. As investigations deepen, questions loom over accountability and the safety of international students at KIIT.

NHRC to probe suicide case of Nepalese girl, ordered an on-spot inquiry into the death

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had ordered an on-spot inquiry into the death of a Nepalese girl student at KIIT University in Odisha and directed its officials to submit a report by March 10. The NHRC issued this order in response to a complaint stating that the 20-year-old student had died by suicide in her hostel room at KIIT University on the afternoon of February 16. The commission had specified that the investigation should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

“Considering the seriousness of the matter, the commission directed the Registrar (Law) to proceed with an inquiry at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, to conduct an on-spot investigation along with a team comprising two officers from the investigation division, one not below the rank of SSP, and one officer/official from the Law Division, and submit its inquiry report to the Commission by 10th March, 2025,” the NHRC order had stated.

As reported by Hindustan Times, the complainant, Ashutosh B, in his petition, had alleged that the Nepalese student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University had been harassed by her “ex-boyfriend” and that the university’s International Relations Office (IRO) had ignored her complaints, which he claimed ultimately led to her suicide.

Background

In February 2025, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, was thrust into controversy following the suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old Nepalese BTech student. On February 16, Lamsal was found dead in her hostel room, an act linked to alleged harassment by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava, who was later arrested for abetment. Lamsal had filed a sexual harassment complaint with KIIT’s International Relations Office 11 months earlier, in March 2024, but no significant action was reportedly taken. Her death sparked outrage among the university’s approximately 1,000 Nepalese students, who staged protests demanding justice and accountability from the administration.

The situation escalated when KIIT authorities allegedly evicted protesting Nepalese students, forcing them to leave campus without prior notice, some dropped off at Cuttack railway station without tickets. This heavy-handed response drew widespread criticism, leading to diplomatic tensions between India and Nepal. Nepal’s government intervened, with Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba calling for an impartial probe and the removal of involved staff. The Odisha government formed a high-level committee, and the National Human Rights Commission began investigating. Amid the unrest, over 150 Nepalese students returned to Nepal, while KIIT claimed most later resumed studies.

Sent daughter for higher studies: father of student who died by suicide

The father of the Nepali student, whose body was discovered in her hostel at the KIIT campus in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on February 18 (Tuesday), has accused the private engineering institute of “mistreating” undergraduates from Nepal. His statement follows allegations that KIIT had evicted a group of Nepali students from their hostel amid rising tensions on the campus following the tragic death of Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B Tech student.

In response to the allegations, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) issued an apology for the incident, asserting that it had “never done any disservice to its students” reported NDTV.

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Tragedy at KIIT: The death of Prakriti Lamsal and the University’s controversial response

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The post KIIT Suicide Case: Nepalese student’s harassment complaint ignored for 11 months before tragic suicide appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner, Suresh Dev Datta Singh, confirmed that a fellow student had been arrested in connection with Lamsal’s death. The accused, Advik Srivastava, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at KIIT, was taken into custody and subsequently remanded to judicial custody under charges of abetment of suicide.

Allegations of harassment and institutional apathy

According to the police investigation and complaints from Lamsal’s cousin, Siddhant Sigdel, she had been facing continuous harassment from Srivastava. The FIR states that she had formally reported his behaviour to the university’s International Relations Office (IRO), but authorities allegedly failed to take meaningful action beyond issuing a mere warning. Some reports suggest that Srivastava was blackmailing her, and an audio clip surfaced online in which a male voice—allegedly belonging to Srivastava—was heard abusing and harassing a female voice.

On the day of Lamsal’s death, Srivastava was reportedly detained outside Biju Patnaik International Airport while allegedly attempting to leave Bhubaneswar. A flight ticket in his name, scheduled for February 16, was found, leading to speculation that he was attempting to flee the city after the incident. The police have since seized Lamsal’s mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination.

A https://t.co/HB58fQ4pSt third-year student from Nepal at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, died by suicide in her hostel after enduring multiple instances of harassment and molestation from her ex-boyfriend, Advik Srivastava.

pic.twitter.com/HSL3NoOIas

— Lokesh Bag (@lokeshbag67) February 17, 2025

Student protests and institutional negligence

Following Lamsal’s death, the university campus saw an outpouring of grief and anger, with both Nepali and Indian students joining protests against the university authorities, accusing them of ignoring Lamsal’s earlier complaints. Hundreds of students gathered outside the college gates, demanding justice and accountability.

Instead of addressing the grievances of its students, KIIT chose to issue a sudden notice instructing all Nepali students to vacate the campus immediately. While the university claimed this was done to ensure their safety, multiple students have alleged that they were forcibly removed from their hostels and transported to the Cuttack railway station without any travel arrangements. Reports from The Hindu indicate that over 500 Nepali students were made to leave in university buses, many without confirmed train tickets. Some students claimed that hostel staff physically forced them to vacate their rooms and resorted to intimidation when they protested.

A callous administration’s response

KIIT’s administration has been widely criticised for its handling of the situation. Registrar Dr. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty attempted to downplay the incident, stating that Lamsal’s death was due to a “strained relationship” rather than prolonged harassment. This response was met with anger from students and critics, who viewed it as an attempt to dismiss the allegations against the accused and the university’s own role in ignoring Lamsal’s previous complaints.

The administration’s decision to evacuate Nepali students further exacerbated tensions. Instead of ensuring their protection or engaging in dialogue, the university effectively displaced its international students overnight. The abrupt eviction not only disrupted their education but also signalled that the university was more interested in damage control than addressing student concerns.

International attention and diplomatic intervention

The incident has garnered international attention, prompting Nepal’s Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, to intervene. He acknowledged the death of Lamsal and the alleged forced eviction of Nepali students, stating that the Nepalese government was addressing the matter through diplomatic channels. Two officers from the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi were dispatched to Bhubaneswar to counsel affected students and facilitate their safe return home if necessary.

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu also expressed condolences over Lamsal’s death and assured cooperation in ensuring justice. Following diplomatic discussions, KIIT publicly urged Nepali students to return to campus, promising that their academic activities would not be disrupted. However, this statement did little to quell the outrage, as students remained distrustful of the university’s commitment to their safety.

KIIT later issued a public appeal urging Nepali students who had already left or were considering leaving to return to campus and resume their classes. This followed a formal communique from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated that its embassy in India had successfully requested KIIT to accommodate Nepali students and ensure an “independent and impartial” investigation into Prakriti Lamsal’s death.

In a statement quoted by The Hindu, KIIT assured that normal academic activities would soon resume and that Nepali students’ education would not be disrupted. “The students are encouraged to return to campus and will continue their academic activities without any disturbances,” the university stated.

APPEAL!

There was an unfortunate incident which took place late in the evening yesterday on the KIIT campus. Immediately after the incident, police investigated the matter and apprehended the culprit.

The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the… pic.twitter.com/0o3vFs2TWi

— KIIT – Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (@KIITUniversity) February 17, 2025

Were Nepali students forcibly evicted?

KIIT claimed that Nepali students were sent home to prevent further unrest on campus. However, several students alleged they were forcibly removed from their hostels and transported to Cuttack Railway Station against their will.

A university official, speaking to PTI, confirmed that the police had sealed Lamsal’s hostel room and placed her body in the mortuary, awaiting the arrival of her family. Meanwhile, some students shared their distressing experiences, with one telling PTI, “We were asked to vacate our hostel rooms and were dropped at the railway station. We had exams scheduled for February 28…”

#WATCH | Odisha: A https://t.co/jHgpcuG1h1 third-year girl student from Nepal was found dead in KIIT University (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) hostel in Bhubaneswar on 16th February. As per a notice issued by the University, the institute is hence closed sine die… pic.twitter.com/vVfgY140up

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025

As per The Hindustan Times, the Nepali students alleged that they were forced to head for their homes without any travel arrangement. “No train tickets or any directions have been provided to us. We were just loaded up on the hostel buses, sent to Cuttack railway station and ordered to leave for our homes at the earliest. The staff members entered the hostel, made us vacate and even hit those who were not vacating quickly,” claimed a student from Nepal.

Lamsal’s tragic death and the subsequent handling of the case highlight systemic failures within KIIT’s administration. The university’s reluctance to act on complaints of harassment, its inadequate response to a student’s suicide, and the hasty eviction of international students suggest a lack of accountability and empathy. Rather than taking decisive steps to ensure student safety and justice, the institution prioritised its reputation, attempting to neutralise the situation through forced removals and public relations tactics.

This case raises broader concerns about how universities handle cases of harassment and abuse. It underscores the urgent need for stronger mechanisms to address complaints of harassment, provide mental health support, and hold institutions accountable for their inaction.

While the police investigation is ongoing, the role of KIIT in enabling a culture of impunity cannot be overlooked. Universities must be places where students feel safe and heard—not silenced or expelled when they demand justice. The handling of this case should serve as a wake-up call, not just for KIIT but for educational institutions across India, to prioritise student welfare over institutional reputation.

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The post Tragedy at KIIT: The death of Prakriti Lamsal and the University’s controversial response appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The family of Dalit boy Darshan Solanki who allegedly died by suicide at IIT-B has now alleged that Darshan was murdered. They also allege that the postmortem was done in their absence and without their permission which has increased their suspicion. The police is continuing the probe while the student body in IIT-B maintains that Darshan faced caste discrimination and the institute has vehemently denied any such claims.

Darshan Solanki allegedly ended his life on Sunday, by jumping from the seventh floor of a hostel building within the campus.

The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a student body in IITB pointed towards a report released by SC/ST Cell of the institute which apparently talks about lack of institutional support for Dalit and Tribal students in the campus. The student body has demanded that this report be made public.

The IIT Bombay on Tuesday rejected charges of caste discrimination in the institute. However, it said that it takes utmost precautions to make the campus as inclusive as possible and it has a zero tolerance for any discrimination by faculty. It further said in its statement that the SC/ST cell has received very few complaints over the years and one complaint was found to be of substance where strict action was taken.

The student body has demanded the resignation of the Director of IIT B (Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri). APPSC has also said that despite complaints, the administration did not appoint any SC/ST counsellors. The body called out the institute for its shallow condolence meet and said, “We don’t need Institutes of Eminence (IoE) like IITs; what we need is an “Institute of Empathy.”

Darshan’s sister, Jhanvi Solanki, however said that her brother casually mentioned incidents of discrimination against him. “He casually told me how the attitude of fellow students changed when they came to know he belonged to a scheduled caste. They ignored him, they wouldn’t help him,” she said. She however, added that he was not the kind to get perturbed by such incidents and was strong willed.” She suspects foul play and insists he was killed.

Darshan’s father has alleged that the post mortem was conducted before they could reach Mumbai and that it was done in a haste and without their permission.

Union minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale has demanded a probe into Solanki’s death and has assured financial assistance to the family through Gujarat and Maharashtra governments.

In 2014, when a student died by suicide at IIT-B, the institute set up a committee and the report concluded that Aniket Ambhore’s death was an outcome of a “discriminative atmosphere” on campus. It took 7 more  years to set up the SC/ST Cell on the campus. Further, students and professors told The Wire that the cell was functioning without a mandate and one professor said that the Cell after conducting a survey had identified 15-20 students from SC-ST communities who were in need of help

Two days after this incident, A post-graduate student at IIT Madras was found dead at his hostel. Steven Sunny, a second year student from Maharashtra, was found hanging in his room.

These two back to back incidents of alleged suicides at the country’s IITs have raised pertinent questions about mental health support and counselling at such eminent institutes which have all the resources to provide such facilities to their students. While the death at IIT-B is suspected to be due to caste discrimination, students at IITs over the years should have prompted a better response from all of these institutes to ensure that the students have all resources at hand to deal with mental stress and keep up their mental well-being. Clearly, these institutes have failed.

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The post IITs unable to create safe spaces for students appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Amidst a global pandemic and lockdowns, five suicide cases were reported in central universities between 2020 and 2022, said Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on April 1 ,2022.

Answering queries on student suicide from MP Kunwar Danish Ali, he reported a total of 24 deaths by suicide between 2017 and 2019 with the highest number of cases in 2017 (seven deaths).

“University Grants Commission (UGC) has informed that Central Universities under its purview have reported 24 suicide cases of students from the year 2017 to 2022. The reasons of suicide by students are not maintained,” said Pradhan.

Six cases each were recorded in 2018 and 2019, one in 2020, three in 2021 and one so far in 2022. The break-up includes two cases of students’ deaths at Teerthanker Mahaveer University in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh between November, 2018 and October, 2021. The said University is a state private university.

In November 2020, the suicide of a second-year Mathematics student at the Lady Shri Ram college following delayed scholarship, pending fees and the pressing concern of a digital divide in education. However, far from being an outlier, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that student suicides increased from 7.4 percent in 2019 to 8.2 percent in 2020.

Data showed that the highest number of cases of death by suicide were recorded in 2020 in Maharashtra with 1,648 cases, followed by 1,469 cases in Odisha, 1,158 cases in Madhya Pradesh, 930 cases in Tamil Nadu and 704 cases in Jharkhand. Even Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan reported 417 cases and 582 cases respectively. It is worth mentioning that in the data provided by Pradhan, no region other than Delhi acknowledged a death by suicide in this year.

According to The Hindu, in 2021, students stuck inside their houses without access to classrooms or socialising opportunities go through more tension and fear. Where once students worried about exam dates, children nowadays worry about moving on to the next grade or job opportunities.

To address this issue, the Minister said the Centre started the MANODARPAN initiative that provides psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Further, students, wardens and caretakers are sensitised to notify any signs of depression in fellow students to authorities for timely clinical consultation.

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The post Five students died by suicide in central universities during the Covid-19 pandemic appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Student organisations in New Delhi held a demonstration on November 9, 2020 outside the Department of Science and Technology, to demand justice for the suicide death of a second-year student at Lady Shri Ram College.

The 19-year-old girl died by suicide on November 3 after suffering severe financial stress. In her suicide note, the girl wrote about her delayed scholarship and her concern about her parents’inability to support her educational aspirations due to the financial crisis caused by the pandemic. The college Student Union blamed the university and government authorities for neglecting the plight of many such students requiring fiscal assistance due to online classes.

The LSR Student Union and the Students Federation of India – Delhi (SFI-Delhi) drafted a memorandum that demands the disbursal of pending scholarships as well as compensation to the aggrieved family. They further demanded the resignation of Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan and asked for a committee that would look into such issues in universities.

Standing outside the government office, Student Union General Secretary Unnimaya said she and protesters would not leave the premises despite the presence of armed police until someone from the department accepts their memorandum.

SFI and Different Organisationa Protesting at Science and Technology Department demanding Justice For Aishwarya#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/tYgtJ31aFL

— SFI Delhi (@SfiDelhi) November 9, 2020

We came here at Dept. of Science and Technology to demand #JusticeForAishwarya , but see the MHA has put force so that we don’t protest !

A student died because she wasn’t given scholarship, but this is the insensitivity of Modi Sarkar ! pic.twitter.com/WyjPqdvBHh

— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) November 9, 2020

All India Democratic Women’s Association member Sonia also attended the event to denounce the government’s role in the girl’s death.

“The government has murdered her. This is not suicide but a murder because the government has always discriminated against the poor. Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao is a mere slogan. She came to Delhi in hopes of a scholarship but the government did not give her the scholarship. A daughter ridden with guilt about her finances died by suicide. We demand the government compensate the family. We demand that the Modi-government punish those responsible for this incident,” she said.

The entire protest outside the Department of Science and Technology may be viewed here:

Meanwhile, members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and other SFI members also staged protests in Delhi and parts of Telangana respectively to show their support with the deceased and her family.

.@nsui activists detained by @DelhiPolice for protesting peacefully outside @EduMinOfIndia against delayed Scholarships & Fellowships.

We lost our sister Aishwarya due to this delay. Dear System & govt. This blood is on everyone’s hands.#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/7fo3LImYLQ

— Sourav Prosad (@SouravProsad1) November 9, 2020

.@nsui activists detained by @DelhiPolice for protesting peacefully outside @EduMinOfIndia against delayed Scholarships & Fellowships.

We lost our sister Aishwarya due to this delay. Dear System & govt. This blood is on everyone’s hands.#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/hzG1VNnq9f

— Neeraj Kundan (@Neerajkundan) November 9, 2020

SFI Telengana protested all across state against the Institutional Murder of Aishwarya, demanding justice for her. #JusticeForAishwarya @SFI_CEC pic.twitter.com/dmncnAvVux

— SFI Telangana (@TelanganaSfi) November 9, 2020

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Lady Shri Ram College’s Student Union (LSRSU) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) on November 9, 2020 have alleged that institutional negligence that led to the death by suicide of a second-year Mathematics student. The girl had died by suicide citing financial distress.

The LSR student was due for the INSPIRE scholarship given by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. However, following the pandemic lockdown, the girl became one of many students who suffered from delayed scholarship, pending fees and a growing digital divide.

LSR alumni and Joint Secretary of SFI-Delhi Mounica Sreesai said many student organisations had planned a physical protest on Monday to demand justice for the deceased’s family and other students who suffer from a similar situation.

They demanded the disbursal of all pending scholarships along with those due to the deceased girl’s family as her parents were worried about educating their second daughter in the absence of a steady salary during the pandemic. Further they demanded due compensation to the family and the resignation of the Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan.

“Education is a basic fundamental right. Government is responsible for the education of all, not just a few. The responsibility of this incident lies with the nexus of institutions which is why we called this an institutional murder. They need to be held responsible. Mere days after the incident, the college sent a notification about fee payment on November 7. There’s no sense of remorse or guilt on their part. They do not care about students nor about their education,” said Sreesai.

Organisations also demanded creation of a committee that would look into similar issues concerning inaccessibility to education, accountability from the college and Delhi University regarding the incident along with an assurance of providing basic necessities for online education.

Lastly, they also demanded a withdrawal of the hostel vacation in LSR, an administrative decision that bothered the girl in question.

Elaborating on this last demand, LSRSU General Secretary Unnimaya talked about the persisting demands of LSR students since June 2019 against the conversion of the college hostel into a first-year residence. According to Unnimaya, this in itself was a violation of the Delhi University Act that provides hostel services to all students.

“Students called it an anti-student policy. But we were not heard. Instead, we were restricted from mobilising by making us sign a clause that said we will not participate in any protest,” she said. 

To make matters worse, the college decided to enforce the new law by November 10 while most students were struggling to overcome the pandemic-induced obstacles. The mathematics student’s mother said her daughter often voiced her worries about the sudden removal from the hostel.

“After returning home because of the pandemic, she told us that she would require Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 to vacate the hostel, find a new place of residence and then return home. We already had no source of income during the lockdown and could not give her the money,” said her mother.

Money was a frequent topic in the house. The girl had considered switching to a local college for education but was loath to do so because she was the first one in her village and community to go to Delhi for education. She told her mother she would become a laughing stock if she gave up her education.

Her parents had taken a loan of Rs. 2 lakhs by mortgaging their house. Later, they mortgaged jewellery to get Rs. 1 lakh required to get her back home.

“She was a bright state topper. Despite this, she could not get her education. She wanted to be an IAS. No freeship or scholarship was transferred to her account. She was told she would get the scholarship in her second year. If the scholarship had come at least in part, her problem about online classes would have been solved,” said her mother.

The mother demanded that the government or university help the family educate their second daughter whose education was stalled to send the other daughter to Delhi.

The LSRSU had conducted a survey on September 9 regarding online classes. Records of the survey showed that the girl had no internet connection at home, nor an access to the laptop, the study material. Her classes clashed with her household chores because of which she often attended hardly three hours out of the five to eight hours of college lectures. Further she had said that she had to pay for the data pack for her online classes which added to her physical and mental stress.

Her answer echoed the general findings of the survey that showed many students were suffering due to online education.

SFI Joint Secretary Dipsita Dhar said, “A lot of out-station students in Delhi come from backward communities. Many students in LSR dream of becoming IAS officers. When a bright student faces such hardships, it demotivates others from similar backgrounds.”

Talking about the 27 percent increase suicide between 2014 and 2019, Dhar said the institution needs to understand the contributing factors that lead to student suicide such as a lack of accessibility.

“The reason the student was depressed was because she felt she could not perform. Just because she did not have the data or the access. Why were the scholarships stopped during the pandemic? After Vemula’s death, we were told that the government would take measures to avoid such incidents. But the way the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been drafted, more cases will happen,” said Dhar.

Similarly, Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh questioned why universities continue online education when thousands of students as per the LSR survey have stated that it is not feasible.

“In Delhi overall, students come from across India. A college like LSR shows that the education system does not have loopholes. But the tragic death has shown us that the system is steadily becoming exclusive, not inclusive. The onus to avail a scholarship falls on the students. They are made to run around when they have already fulfilled criteria. Who will answer for the life that is lost here?” she said.

Lastly, Ambedkar University’s Students Councillor Navina Lamba said that online classes, data pack payment, inaccessibility to infrastructure, low connectivity areas are persisting problems during the pandemic. The NEP focuses only on digital communication with no regard for its impact on students based on their caste, class, gender.

She concluded that authorities need to provide infrastructural resources rather than solely looking at statistical productivity.

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The post Student organisations call LSR student suicide an institutional murder appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Government and institutional apathy responsible for the suicide of a scholarship-holder at the Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College for Women’s hostel, alleged Student Federation of India (SFI) members on November 6, 2020.

Members held the LSR administration and Delhi University DU) responsible for the death of a second-year student on November 3 after her INSPIRE scholarship granted by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology was delayed over several months.

“SFI LSR sends our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We resolve to firmly stand in solidarity with her family in this time of need and to demand justice for her, and others who are being forced to die by suicide due to the authorities’ disgraceful apathy. We do not perceive this as a simple case of suicide, but as an institutional murder by the extremely apathetic university and governmental institutions, which are structurally exclusionary. This systemic exclusion must end,” said SFI convener Unnimaya in a press release.

In line with their allegations, members made the following demands for the benefit of those students who depended upon scholarship concessions for education:

·       Immediate distribution of all fellowships owed to deserving students.
·       Immediate disbursal of all pending scholarship amounts to the aggrieved family as well as compensation by the Government of India.
·       Resignation of the Minister of Science and Technology for failing to execute his sworn-in responsibilities.
·       Creation of a committee to understand and handle such issues and prevent suicides due to institutional negligence.

According to the SFI press release, the deceased was a bright student and state topper in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations. The girl looked forward to the government scholarship that would lessen the burden of education on her parents, who mortgaged their house to ensure that she can pursue her studies at DU. Her excellent performance in the HSC examinations won her the scholarship. However, its consequent delay since March resulted in extreme financial pressure.

“This is a colossal failure of the Ministry. They have put the future of many students in jeopardy,” said SFI Co-convener Lekshmi.

SFI Ranga Reddy district President Comrade Prashant said that her parents remembered their daughter as one who highly valued education. Many students from working-class, low-income families perceive education as a path for a more financially stable and respectable future.

“It is disheartening to learn that no authorities – college, university or governmental – have tried to reach out to students like her to provide required aid or to help students address the issue of delay in scholarship dispersal. It is due to a mix of these two issues that she was forced to take her own life,” said students.

The college’s Student Union documented the exclusion faced by students coming from socially and economically weak backgrounds in a survey conducted by the Inclusive Committee for Education. They repeatedly sent emails to the administration but never received any response.

Similarly, the SFI constantly petitioned the Union government to release pending scholarships and fellowships. Such financial assistance is particularly important considering the serious financial stress faced by families who lost their income during the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

“We have witnessed fee hikes across educational institutions which betray an utter disregard for financial conditions of students in a period of overall economic crisis. The Delhi University too failed to provide any concessions in the annual fee sum,” they said.

Further, students said that they are being forced to pay for examinations without compensation for the money collected in 2019. Central universities across India continue to impose financial demands on students.

Students said that the heavy dependence on scholarships, and the pressure on working-class families to take up credit for their children’s further studies in institutions like LSR, exposes the myth of accessibility of public-funded higher education in general, and LSR in particular.

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The post LSR Student Union claim institutional and administrative apathy led to student suicide appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its recently released data, has said that nearly 10,159 students committed suicide in the year 2018, and nearly 81,758 in the last decade.

The ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2018’ report by the bureau stated that topping the charts in case of students suicides was the state of Maharashtra with 1,448 suicides, with Tamil Nadu coming in second at 953, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 862, Karnataka at 755 and West Bengal at 609.

The number of suicides in Maharashtra was 14.3% of the total number and according to the report, the total number of suicides surged by 3.6% to 134,516 in 2018 from 129,887 in 2017.

While the number of student suicides in 2017 was 9,905, the figure in 2018 increased 2.6 percent to 10,159 (7.6% of the total number).

Failure in examinations accounted for 2 percent of student suicides, with 1,529 students below the age of 18 and 1,034 between the ages of 18 and 30 and 53 students from the ages of 30 to 45 years having ended their lives.

With one student committing suicide every hour, inability of coping with failure and the fear of letting their family down makes students resort to such desperate measures. However, according to a blog post by Your Dost, an online counseling service, only 30 percent of student suicides are due to failure in examinations.

Forced career choices say psychologists; especially with parents forcing their kids to take up only conventional careers and the inability of kids to speak up about the pressure, especially with their parents, is also a major contributor to the student suicide numbers.

Even caste discrimination, as we have seen in the cases of medical student Payal Tadvi and engineering student Fathima Lathif, has driven many aspirants over the edge. Also, no importance on mental health, with the country spending only 0.06% of its budget for addressing mental health concerns, is another factor that is often swept under the carpet.

Currently, the country only has around 5,000 psychiatrists and even fewer clinical psychologists for a population of 1.3 billion people. Though schools and universities are opening up wellness centers for their students on campus, what is likely to help more is the administration of the District Mental Health Programme which comprises of counseling services, suicide prevention services, stress management and life skills training.

Also, with social media coming into the picture, emotional and mental disturbances have taken a turn for the worse. The need for social acceptance and external validation, especially when we’re going from social animals to being individualists, has ended up making students vulnerable and more susceptible to taking harmful decisions with regards to their lives. Peer pressure combined with parental pressure has proven to be a deadly combination for the students of India.

Even though the government has introduced several strategies like lightening the syllabus, introducing counselors and special educators in schools and conducting seminars on motivation, these have not stopped the number of student suicides increase year on year.

Apart from making parents more open to unconventional careers and teaching students to successfully navigate societal pressure, it is imperative to build a solidarity network where teachers, educators, counselors and peer groups come together to detect and help children who are suffering from this silent threat.

Related:

Telangana board examination results prompt spate of student suicides
Chorus demanding justice for ‘institutional murder’ of Dr Payal Tadvi grows
Increase in student suicides: Commercialisation of education dividing, destroying youth power

The post Exam failure major trigger for student suicides: NCRB appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On November 9, Fathima Lathif, reportedly a first-year student of Master’s in humanities and development studies (integrated) in IIT Madras, committed suicide by hanging herself. She hailed from Kollam in Kerala and was a class topper. Fathima left a suicide note in her phone in which she blamed a few faculty members of IIT Madras for her suicide. While names of some persons were mentioned, specific allegations against them were not mentioned in the suicide note that she left in her mobile phone.

It has not yet been ascertained what exactly prompted the IIT-M topper to take such a drastice step, her father Abdul Lathif is known to have said that the victim was being mentally harassed by some faculty members. Since Fathima belongs to the minority community, many have reached a conclusion that Fathima faced religious discrimination in the educational institute, some are estimating that she was bothered by her low internal marks, but it is incorrect to reach any kind of conclusions now unless any further evidence is gathered in the case by the police, as the same would be termed as conjecture.

The police had registered this case as a case of unnatural death, however, after having recovered certain “notes” from the mobile of the victim, the phone is now in the custody of the police for further investigation. The father of the victim has alleged harassment and has even approached the Chief Minister of the State to intervene.

Reactions

The reports of the suicide sparked some protests by Students Federation of India (SFI) outside the campus of IIT-Madras and also prompted a hashtag on social media #JusticeForFathimaLatheef which was trending on Twitter. Many Twitter users have alleged that the first name mentioned by the victim in her suicide note is of a Professor, who is being termed as a Hindutva bigot.

Student Suicides in IITs

Reportedly, this is the fifth case of suicide in the IIT-M, this year and this has raised serious questions on the institution’s environment and lack of mental health support for the students. A look at the data from last decade, 52 suicides were reported across eight IITs in India and IIT-Madras tops the list with 14 suicides!

Students who get admission in one of the country’s most premier institutes like IIT-Madras, are meritorious and academically bright and at the same time remain under the pressure of maintaining the good performance. It remains the prerogative of the educational institute, especially one of such a high esteem, that a conducive environment is provided to its students who work hard to get good scores and to cope with the curriculum of the institute. An environment that is conducive to students who stay away from their family should be healthy, free from any kind of harassment, discrimination and one that stimulates their academic performance as well as their holistic growth and development.

It’s time the administration departments of such institutes do some introspection and focus on student’s mental health as one of the important priorities apart from academics.

Related:

With 14 cases in 10 years, IIT-Madras tops list of suicides among contemporaries

Class topper in all subjects but one, IIT-Madras student kills self

Fear of “objectionable video” going viral led Dalit youth to commit suicide, says family

26-year-old found dead, students allege delay, clash with police: Aligarh

India Has The Highest Suicide Rate in South East Asia, But No Prevention Strategy

In India’s Suicide Country, Catching Mental Illness Before It Is Too Late

The post Another IIT-M student ends life, 5th case this year appeared first on SabrangIndia.

सुरेश सिर्फ अपने कॉलेज में बीए की परीक्षा में शामिल होने के लिए अपनी फीस भरना चाहता था, कई दिनों से बैंक की लाइन में लग कर मायूस लौट रहा था। कल फिर उसे निराशा हाथ लगी और उसने घर आकर खुदकुशी कर ली।

 
8 नवंबर को प्रधानमंत्री के 1000 और 500 की नोट पर पाबंदी के ऐलान के बाद यूपी के बांदा जिले के मवाई बुजुर्ग गांव में 19 साल के सुरेश प्रजापति ने बैंक से पैसा नहीं मिलने के चलते आत्महत्या कर ली। लड़का स्नातक का छात्र था और उसे परीक्षा फीस जमा करने थे। सुरेश को चौथी बार बैंक से कैश ना मिलने पर मैनेजर के साथ उसका मनमुटाव हुआ था।
 
सुरेश ने बीते शुक्रवार को बैंक में 30 हजार रुपये के पुराने नोट जमा कराए थे। जिसके बाद वो दस हजार के नए नोट चाहता था। सुरेश के पिता लालूराम के अनुसार, सुरेश बांदा कॉलेज में बीएससी दूसरे वर्ष का छात्र था। लालू के अनुसार, बुधवार को फीस जमा करने का आखिरी दिन था। फीस के लिए पैसे ना मिल पाने से वो दुखी था। वो बैंक से लौट कर आने के बाद कमरे में उदास बैठा था। 
 
घटना का पता तब चला जब सुरेश की मां ने खाने के लिए उसको आवाज लगाई और उसके जवाब ना देने पर कमरे में जाकर देखा तो उसने खुद को फंदे से लटकाया हुआ था। घटना के बाद गांववाले भड़क गए और उन्होंने बैंक पर हमला कर दिया। ग्रामीणों ने बैंक का फर्नीचर तोड़ डाला और बिल्डिंग को नुकसान पहुंचाने की कोशिश की।
 
इस घटना के बाद सवाल यह उठता है क्या वह कायर था? नहीं वह कायर नहीं था। इसके पहले भी नोटबंदी ने देशभर में 70 से अधिक लोगों की बलि चढ़ा दी है। सुरेश सरकार की ताजा नोटबंदी-क्रांति का एक और शिकार है। एक सैनिक शहीद होता है तो उसके लिए सरकार से लेकर मीडिया तक में जिस तरह की क्रांति हो जाती है, वह सब देखते हैं। लेकिन ये सत्तर से ज्यादा लोग कौन हैं और इनकी मौतों का जिम्मेदार कौन है और वे सरकार से लेकर टीवी मीडिया की फिक्र से क्यों दूर हैं?

Courtesy: National Dastak
 

The post बैंक से नहीं मिले पैसे देना चाहता था परीक्षा की फीस, हताश छात्र ने की खुदकुशी appeared first on SabrangIndia.