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Eight student suicides since 2023 bring IIT Delhi’s mental-health support under scrutiny.

The death of 31-year-old MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar at IIT Delhi has reopened an uncomfortable question for one of India’s most prestigious institutions, how much pressure can a student be expected to withstand before academic competition, personal difficulties and institutional processes become overwhelming? Kumar died on August 22 after falling from the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex on the IIT Delhi campus. Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against unidentified persons and are examining his phone, counselling records and other material. No suicide note has been found. At present, there is no official conclusion that a single factor caused his death. The institute has said Kumar had been receiving medical and counselling support for several months, while his family has raised questions about whether the support provided to him was adequate. The institute said Kumar had been considered academically bright. Concerns about his well-being were reportedly raised earlier this year, following which he was taken to the campus hospital and assessed by a psychiatrist. His family subsequently arranged specialised treatment, including a period of hospitalisation. He later sought withdrawal from academic semesters, requests that the institute says were approved. Yet the fact that he had been in contact with support services has done little to settle the concerns among students. The death triggered protests on campus, with students demanding an independent examination of the circumstances surrounding Kumar’s death and of the systems meant to protect students experiencing academic or personal difficulties. One IIT Delhi student described the atmosphere among students as one of grief mixed with frustration. “Any student who is going through a difficult phase should feel that there is somebody who will listen to them,” a second-year student said, on the condition of anonymity, reflecting a concern that the availability of counselling is not enough if students do not feel comfortable approaching the system. The institute has now constituted an external committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kumar’s death. The panel is expected to examine the functioning of administrative offices, speak with students and faculty and review existing procedures for student support. IIT Delhi has also proposed an external ombudsperson for grievances that remain unresolved through the institute’s existing mechanisms. For students, the latest incident is particularly disturbing because it is not an isolated death. Eight IIT Delhi students have died by suicide since 2023, according to figures currently available from the institute and public records. The deaths have occurred across different academic programmes and years of study. In several earlier cases, academic difficulties, examination performance, isolation or mental-health problems were reported as concerns, although each death had its own circumstances and cannot simply be attributed to academic pressure. The longer history is equally troubling. IIT Delhi’s recent record shows that student suicides have continued despite repeated attempts to reduce academic stress and expand counselling facilities. The institute began changing aspects of its academic system after a series of student deaths. Among the measures have been changes to examinations and attempts to reduce the academic burden. For some, the psychological impact can be severe. A student who has witnessed the pressure on campus said the problem was not simply the number of assignments or examinations. “There is a constant feeling that you have to prove that you deserve to be here,” Aarav, a final year engineering student said.