IIT campuses see fresh student protests after two recent suicides
Following the suicides of students at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, students staged protests demanding investigations and better support, prompting the institutes to form inquiry committees.
On September 18, a BTech student at IIT Bombay died by suicide, and his parents claimed he faced caste-based harassment from a faculty member. Protesters submitted an 18-point memorandum urging a fair probe and improved student support, and the institute’s director signed it, pledging consideration of the demands before announcing a committee to examine the case. A month earlier, IIT Delhi experienced protests after the suicide of Rishikesh Kumar, with students demanding an external inquiry and compensation, and the institute subsequently set up a committee.
Participants said recent nationwide protests, such as those by the Cockroach Janata Party, emboldened them. The protests highlight longstanding grievances over restrictive campus rules, inadequate infrastructure, rising fees, and declining placement prospects, especially for marginalized students.
Why it matters
The protests reveal growing student unrest at elite Indian institutes over safety, discrimination, and declining support systems.
In this story
