Daijiworld Media Network - Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra, Apr 18: A second-year student was found dead at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, on Thursday, marking the third suspected suicide at the institute this month and triggering protests by students over alleged delays in response by authorities.
Police said the 20-year-old student was from Buxar district in Bihar. An autopsy was conducted in the presence of the family, and further investigation is underway.
“An autopsy was conducted at LNJP hospital and the body was handed over to the family. We are further investigating the matter,” a police spokesperson said.
An institute official said steps had already been initiated to review student mental health, but the latest incident highlights the need to strengthen support systems.
Protesting students alleged administrative negligence, claiming there was a delay in response from authorities. The institute has not addressed these allegations.
Students have demanded a comprehensive inquiry, better counselling services and stronger crisis-response mechanisms, citing academic pressure, financial stress and family expectations as contributing factors.
A student representative said assigning faculty members as mentors after earlier incidents was inadequate, as they lacked professional mental health training.
Gian Bhushan, in-charge of public relations at the institute, said a student delegation met the director on Friday. He added that measures taken after the April 8 incident include increased faculty-student interaction, identification of students needing counselling, hostel-level stress management activities, and enhanced surveillance with restricted access to vulnerable areas.
The institute has also announced preparatory holidays from April 17 to May 4, a move questioned by students as classes scheduled until April 22 were cancelled despite incomplete syllabus coverage.
The latest case marks the fourth such incident on campus in less than two months, with earlier deaths reported on February 16, March 31 and April 8.
A three-member review committee set up by the Union education ministry is expected to visit the institute next week to assess student support systems, governance and institutional functioning.
The incidents come amid growing concern over student mental health. In March 2025, the Supreme Court constituted a National Task Force on student suicides, and in January 2026 issued interim guidelines mandating institutions to report all unnatural deaths and avoid penalising students over scholarship delays.