GUWAHATI: A 21-year-old BTech computer science and engineering (CSE) student at IIT-Guwahati, Bimlesh Kumar from UP’s Ballia district, was found hanging in his hostel room on Monday.
This is the second such incident within a month and the third this year at the institute, raising serious concerns about students’ mental health and effectiveness of the support system on the campus.
On August 9, a female MTech student from Kanpur was found hanging in her hostel room, while another BTech student had died by suicide on April 10. In 2022, the institute saw two student suicides and a mysterious death in 2023.
According to sources, Bimlesh struggled with academic backlogs and financial difficulties, which prevented him from participating in the internship programme. “Due to poor academics, he was not allowed to sit for the internship season,” said a source. Following the incident, students gathered in front of the administrative building, demanding answers from the IIT-G authorities. “We want justice. One after another, suicide is being reported at the institute and there is no solution?” asked an aggrieved student. Students and faculty pointed out that the suicides underscored the urgent and critical need for enhanced mental health support and counselling services at the institute.
“The death of Bimlesh Kumar has sent shockwaves in the IIT-Guwahati community, with students mourning the loss and calling for immediate action to prevent further tragedies,” said a faculty member.
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