When the mind becomes a pressure cooker, students commit suicide.
A report shared by the Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Monday in the winter session of Parliament showed 23 IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) has seen 50 suicides over the last five years. Of which, IIT Guwahati recorded the highest suicides with 14 suicides, 3 suicides every year followed by IIT Madras and IIT Bombay with 7 suicides each.
This investigation was brought into light after Fathima Lateef, an IIT Madras Humanity Student, and an IIT Delhi Student committed suicide. IIT Delhi has had 4 deaths and IIT Kharagpur had 5 suicides in the last 5 years.
The causes of the suicides have been linked with the stress of failing the exams and in Fathima Lateef’s case, harassment by the faculty-led to suicide.
HRD Minister said Systems are in place to take action against students’ complaints in the IIT campuses which include Counselling Centres, Student Grievance Cell, Disciplinary Action Committee and more.
Although, these systems have been operational in the campuses for the last five years still the toll of suicides is rising.
The HRD Minister also informed that IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) saw 10 suicides across eight campuses in the last 5 years.