JNUSU Protests Outside IIT Delhi Following MSc Student's Death on Campus
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) staged a protest outside the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on Sunday, demanding accountability from the administration following the alleged suicide of a 31-year-old postgraduate student on campus.
The demonstration took place a day after the second-year MSc student died on August 22. Student groups pointed out that this was the second student death reported at IIT Delhi this year, calling on the institute to confront what they described as a recurring pattern of fatalities.
Addressing the gathering, JNUSU president Aditi demanded structural safeguards across higher education institutions. She called for the implementation of the Rohith Act to prevent students from facing severe administrative pressure and unfair evaluations regarding merit, adding that student unions would continue to raise these issues across university campuses.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) also issued a statement seeking a formal probe into the incident. The association demanded an independent inquiry into the student's death and the broader issue of suicides at the institute. AISA further called for full transparency regarding counselling infrastructure and its accessibility, a review of the discretionary power held by faculty supervisors over students' academic trajectories, and an end to administrative attempts to avoid public scrutiny.
Protesting students criticised the standard institutional response to campus deaths, arguing that administrations often reduce such incidents to individual mental health struggles and issue condolence messages rather than examining structural issues within the academic environment.
Following the incident, IIT Delhi released a statement mourning the loss. The institute said it deeply mourned the tragic and untimely demise of the MSc student and confirmed that the Delhi Police are actively investigating the matter. The administration added that it is extending all necessary support and prayers to the bereaved family.
