NIT Kurukshetra student suicide sparks massive protest on campus; fourth death in 2 months

A second-year BTech student of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra was found dead in his hostel room on Thursday, triggering massive protests by students on campus. This is the fourth reported student death at the institute in the last two months.

According to Times Now, the police were informed soon after the student was found and reached the campus to start an investigation. The body was later sent for a post-mortem, the report added.

According to a report by The Tribune, this is the fourth such case in just two months, raising concerns among students and parents. The report added that the student was in the second year of the BTech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

NIT Kurukshetra: Fourth death in 2 months

Following the incident, many students gathered and held a protest on campus throughout the night. According to visuals shared by ANI on X, students were seen sitting in protest late at night, asking the institute authorities to take action.

Students said that these repeated incidents point to bigger problems on campus. According to media reports and videos on social media, the protesters raised concerns about academic pressure, lack of mental health support, and the need for better counselling facilities. “Instead, the management issued preparatory holidays from tomorrow onwards(17/4) and said that the practical exams will be in online mode. They are trying to shut down further protests,” said a comment on Instagram, responding to a video of the protest.

The protesting students asked for a detailed investigation into the recent deaths and demanded that the administration be held responsible. Some also urged the institute to take quick steps to improve support for students, the report stated.

“I'm NIT Kurukshetra alumnus. What's happening there guys? I can take it up to the alumni association if it helps,” wrote another Instagram user.

Calls for transparency on campus

A LinkedIn post by Kiyan Frost, a student at NIT Kurukshetra, raised serious concerns about how the campus handles student safety and welfare. He said that during the recent incident, hostel staff and wardens were present but did not respond properly when the student was in trouble.

He also claimed that some professors made insensitive comments. He pointed out issues like strict hostel curfew rules for girls, lack of action on harassment complaints, and unprofessional behaviour by security staff.

Kiyan Frost further criticised punishments like fines and called for better mental health support, more accountability, and fair rules for all students. He also said that a student discussion on these issues was removed from social media, which raised concerns about suppressing student voices.

He urged the administration, alumni, and other stakeholders to have open and transparent discussions and focus on solutions instead of imposing more restrictions.

The institute has not issued a detailed official statement yet.

The situation on campus stayed tense as students continued their protest, asking for clear steps to ensure student safety and well-being, the report stated.

The incident comes after three other student suicides in recent weeks. On April 9, Priyanshu Verma, a third-year BTech student from Sirsa, was found dead in his hostel room. Earlier, on March 31, Pawan Kumar, a second-year electrical engineering student from Nuh, died by suicide and on February 16, Angod Shiva, a 19-year-old student from Telangana.

The Supreme Court has already established a National Task Force to look into student suicides and mental health in higher education institutions. Based on the NTF on mental health’s findings, the top court issued an interim order in January that listed a host of measures to prevent suicides.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.