GUWAHATI: IIT-Guwahati students temporarily halted on Wednesday their agitation over a 21-year-old 3rd-year BTech student’s death after the dean of academic affairs resigned.
The institute’s director, Devendra Jalihal, assured students that their demands for the resignation of several more faculty members, including the hostel affairs board vice-chairperson and the associate deans of student and academic affairs, would soon be addressed.However, IIT-Guwahati authorities said they were yet to decide whether to accept the resignation letter of dean of academic affairs KV Krishna.
The authorities have restricted media access to the institute.
Protests had erupted on Monday following the alleged suicide of the Paswan community student, Bimlesh Kumar from Ballia, UP.
“There is clear negligence on the part of IIT-Guwahati. How could they be so ruthless towards a student who submitted a medical reason for poor attendance and fail him in his third year, not for poor academics but for having low attendance,” said his father Ras Bihari Ram Paswan, a CISF havildar posted in Dhanbad.
“He had told me that the institute would rusticate him. Like any other student, he too was under stress to excel. But we had never put pressure on him as he was very intelligent,” Bimlesh’s father told TOI.
Institute director Jalihal promised more flexibility in academic policies, including revisiting the 75% mandatory attendance rule by Oct 15. Additionally, it was agreed that students with backlogs would be allowed to participate in placements and internships provided they cleared their backlogs as soon as possible.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death and questioned faculty members and students. “Bimlesh did not have any roommate. We are trying to find the possible reasons for his alleged suicide,” a police official said.
The institute’s director, Devendra Jalihal, assured students that their demands for the resignation of several more faculty members, including the hostel affairs board vice-chairperson and the associate deans of student and academic affairs, would soon be addressed.However, IIT-Guwahati authorities said they were yet to decide whether to accept the resignation letter of dean of academic affairs KV Krishna.
The authorities have restricted media access to the institute.
Protests had erupted on Monday following the alleged suicide of the Paswan community student, Bimlesh Kumar from Ballia, UP.
“There is clear negligence on the part of IIT-Guwahati. How could they be so ruthless towards a student who submitted a medical reason for poor attendance and fail him in his third year, not for poor academics but for having low attendance,” said his father Ras Bihari Ram Paswan, a CISF havildar posted in Dhanbad.
“He had told me that the institute would rusticate him. Like any other student, he too was under stress to excel. But we had never put pressure on him as he was very intelligent,” Bimlesh’s father told TOI.
Institute director Jalihal promised more flexibility in academic policies, including revisiting the 75% mandatory attendance rule by Oct 15. Additionally, it was agreed that students with backlogs would be allowed to participate in placements and internships provided they cleared their backlogs as soon as possible.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death and questioned faculty members and students. “Bimlesh did not have any roommate. We are trying to find the possible reasons for his alleged suicide,” a police official said.
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