KANPUR/LUCKNOW A day after a PhD scholar allegedly died by suicide after jumping off a hostel building on the campus, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) is facing sharp criticism from outsiders and past pupils alike with questions being raised over its ability to cope with the rising number of such incidents.
Even as IIT-Kanpur reiterates its commitment to students’ mental and physical well-being, the growing gap between policy and outcomes continues to raise questions about stress, support systems and the “unseen pressures” faced by students at one of India’s most prestigious institutions.
The IIT Alumni Support Group claimed that 30 suicides took place in IITs in the last two years, out of which nine (30% deaths) happened on the IIT-Kanpur campus alone, which is the highest in any of the 23 IITs in the country.
IIT-Kharagpur saw the second highest number of seven suicides, whereas IIT-Bombay had only one such incident during this period even though it has higher number of students than Kanpur.
“It means something is clearly wrong at IIT-Kanpur, putting a question mark over their counselling/mental health support systems. IIT-Bombay has the highest number of JEE and GATE top rankers among all IITs, but there is no such stress/pressure among students,” claimed Dheeraj Singh, founder, Global IIT Alumni Support Group and an alumnus of IIT Kanpur 2004 batch.
Meanwhile, IIT-K detailed a number of measures that are already put in place for student well-being.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, IIT-K detailed a number of measures that are already put in place for student well-being.
{{/usCountry}}To address conflicts between research scholars and supervisors, the institute has appointed an external ombudsperson to handle grievances. The institute has expanded its Centre for Mental Health Wellbeing, appointing 10 full-time psychologists, a clinical head who is a psychiatrist, and three empanelled psychiatrists for specialised care.
All new undergraduate and postgraduate students undergo mental health screening in their first week on campus. Those identified as being at moderate or high risk are proactively contacted by counsellors for early intervention, stated an official release.
A 24x7 emergency mental health response system has also been put in place, along with regular sensitisation workshops for faculty, staff, security personnel and hostel teams.
IIT-K director Prof Manindra Agarwal said the institute conducts special orientation sessions for B.Tech first and second-year students, particularly those not fluent in English. “Classroom tutorials are recorded and translated into Hindi and a South Indian language to support students from diverse backgrounds,” he told HT over phone.
“The problem is more acute among post-graduate and PhD scholars. Research work is not time-bound, and after a few years, stress begins to accumulate,” he said.
Mental health experts on the campus said relationship stress is an emerging concern. A doctor associated with the counselling services said around 10% of students seeking help each month cite relationship-related issues. “Students excel academically, but often lack emotional intelligence. Breakups, lack of time and loneliness add to their distress,” the doctor said.
A research scholar echoed the concern, saying students are under immense pressure to focus solely on degrees. “Life is not just about academic success. Without character and emotional development, the pressure becomes unbearable for some,” the scholar said.
Families of victims often remain unaware of the exact reasons behind such tragedies. An uncle of a student who died by suicide earlier said the family was never informed of the full circumstances. “He had once told his mother that several scholars had quit research under his guide, indicating a stressful environment,” he said.
Former students point to IIT-Kanpur’s “rigorous academic culture” as another stressor. “The standards here are tougher than many other IITs, and professors are known to be strict,” said an alumnus. A faculty member, however, argued that intense competition is essential for maintaining academic excellence.
Many professors admitted that student suicides leave a deep emotional impact on faculty. “Seeing a student’s body being taken away from the campus haunts us for days,” a professor said.
Students hold candlelight vigil, seek answers from admin
Simmering discontent prevailed on the IIT-Kanpur campus on Tuesday as students sought answers from the administration over what they described as the “failure of counselling services at the institute”.
Following the death of a PhD scholar, who allegedly jumped from a hostel building on Tuesday, students held a candlelight vigil and convened a general body meeting to discuss the rising number of suicides on campus.
People aware of the developments said the students had called for a meeting with IIT-K director Manindra Agrawal, dean of student affairs Prateek Sen and the head of the institute’s counselling services. While Agrawal was out of the city, students alleged that the dean did not respond to calls, and that the head of counselling services gave vague answers during the interaction.
Angered by “evasiveness from the administration”, the students marched to the residence of the dean and gheraoed him, demanding accountability.
“The students asked blunt questions on why counselling services were failing on the campus and why repeated warning signs were being ignored,” said a person who attended the meeting.