Bengaluru: Second IISc student suicide in 15 days as 22-yr-old dies in hostel

A 22-year-old first-year MTech student allegedly died by suicide at IISc Bengaluru, the second such death at the institute in 15 days, police said.

Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:17:59 IST

By Sanjay Maurya, New Delhi

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A 22-year-old first-year MTech student allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on Thursday, police said, in the second such incident at the institute in 15 days.

A 22-year-old IISc Bengaluru student allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room, 15 days after another student died in a similar incident.

The student was pursuing MTech in the Department of Computer Science and Automation (CSA). He had been staying at the institute’s Krithika hostel since August 3, when the new academic session for postgraduate programmes began.

The IISc administration did not respond to HT’s queries seeking comment.

In a condolence message to the IISc community, registrar Prof D Nagesh Kumar said the institute was “extremely saddened” by the student’s death on August 20 and expressed condolences to his family and friends.

“We are committed to ensuring that the IISc campus is a safe and inclusive space for everyone,” Kumar said, while urging students and other members of the campus community experiencing emotional distress to use the mental health support services available through the institute’s Wellness Centre.

These include a 24×7 emergency counselling helpline, online counselling, and consultations with counsellors and psychiatrists, the registrar said.

A spokesperson for Sadashivanagar police station said a UDR (Unnatural Death Report) had been registered. “We have sent the body for post-mortem and informed the family. Further investigation is underway,” the spokesperson said on Friday.

The latest incident comes 15 days after the death of 19-year-old, a second-year BTech student, who allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room on August 6. He was a resident of Karnataka’s Chikkaballapura district.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.

Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanjay Maurya
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.Read More

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