New Delhi: CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Prithas on Sunday wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking urgent intervention in the matter of the “alarming spate” of student suicides and suicide attempts at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra in the last two months. He called for the formation of a committee to investigate the circumstances of the events and review the institute’s response system.
Four BTech students allegedly died by suicide at NIT Kurukshetra this year between February 16 and April 16, while the campus reported a suicide attempt by a 19-year-old student late on Friday night.
“The frequency of such tragic incidents within a leading national institution of higher education raises serious questions about student safety, institutional response mechanisms, and the adequacy of mental health support systems….[And] “It indicates deeper systemic concerns that require immediate and independent examination,” Brittas wrote in his letter to Pradhan. HT has a copy of the letter.
Referring to fresh reports that the institute has reported four suicide cases in the last two months, of which three occurred in April alone, Brittas said NIT Kurukshetra’s response to these incidents has raised serious concerns among students regarding transparency, sensitivity and adherence to proper emergency protocols. He also claimed that concerns had been raised about the working of the mentor-mentee system and “insensitive remarks allegedly made by teaching staff, which are said to have exacerbated the distress experienced by students”.
Describing the recurrence of incidents at a centrally funded technical institution as “tragic” and “deeply distressing”, Britas in his letter to Pradhan urged the minister to “urgently issue directions to constitute an independent expert committee to conduct a comprehensive examination of the circumstances leading to the recurrence of incidents, and review the adequacy of institutional emergency response protocols and standard operating procedures to address situations involving student distress.”
The National Institute of Technology on April 18 transferred two professors, whom protesting students accused of negligence on April 16. The institute administration had also on April 18, in view of the prevailing circumstances, asked about 5,500 UG, PG and PhD students to vacate their hostels by April 19. It also decided to announce a leave for students until further notice.
Prithas, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, said the “sudden closure” of the campus and the directive to vacate the hostels at short notice, had created serious academic and logistical difficulties for students, especially those traveling from states as far away as Kerala and for non-resident Indian students, especially in view of the impending end-semester examinations scheduled to begin in early May 2026.
She urged Prithas Pradhan and the NIT administration to consider “immediate interim measures” to ensure that academic schedules and examinations are conducted in a manner that does not aggravate the prevailing psychological distress among students.
“At the same time, the measures taken to suddenly and forcefully close campuses, instead of addressing fundamental systemic deficiencies, which are seen as an attempt to suppress student protests, also deserve urgent review,” he said.
Officials of the union Ministry of Education did not respond to Hizb ut-Tahrir’s request for comment.
Earlier on Saturday, Brahmajit Singh, senior professor at NIT, blamed digital media for pushing children towards loneliness and said their interaction with their friends and parents has decreased.
A member of the three-member review committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Education on March 29 said recent events had prompted scrutiny of student support systems along with management and institutional performance. The committee is expected to visit the institute next week.
On Sunday, the institute organized a ‘Sarvakalyan Yajna or Hawan’ at 9 am in the science garden of the institute for the ‘safety of the deceased students’.
“Our hostel management authorities asked us to participate in the hawan conducted by the institute in which several institute officials participated. Instead of actually strengthening the support system for the students, they are participating in such activities,” a second-year BTech student told HT.
NIT Kurukshetra has formed a five-member committee to probe the recent student suicides, besides the three separate committees to look into the problems faced by students on the campus, according to a PTI report. The investigation committee of NIT Kurukshetra will interact with students, professors, guards and other staff on the issues. The investigation committee will be headed by Dean of Student Welfare Lily Dewan, and includes GK Kapoor, Praveen Agarwal, Sandeep Singhal and Manoj Sinha.
According to a PTI report, the institute has formed three separate committees; The first committee comprises of supervisors who will visit the hostel daily and interact directly with the students, the second is the guidance committee, where one mentor is assigned to a group of 20-25 students and keeps in touch regularly, including through telephone conversations, and the third committee will include two faculty members for each hostel, who will continue to visit regularly to connect with the students and understand their problems.
