IIIT Ranchi student death: Centre forms panel to probe campus support system gaps

The Ministry of Education has formed a three-member committee to investigate the death of first-year IIIT Ranchi student Aditya Kumar. The panel will examine campus facilities, counselling services, mentoring arrangements and grievance redressal systems, identify possible gaps and recommend measures to strengthen student well-being.

In Short

• The Education Ministry has formed a three-member panel to investigate the IIIT Ranchi student death
• The committee will examine campus facilities, counselling, mentoring and grievance redressal systems
• First-year student Aditya Kumar joined IIIT Ranchi in August and was appearing for mid-semester exams

The Ministry of Education has constituted a three-member committee to examine the death of a first-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi, and investigate whether gaps in campus facilities or student support systems need to be addressed.

The committee will be chaired by Professor Rajni Abbi, Director of the University of Delhi's South Campus. A senior psychiatrist and a senior Ministry of Education official will serve as its other members.

WHAT WILL THE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATE?

The panel will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and assess how well the institute has implemented student welfare guidelines.

Its review will cover the availability and functioning of basic facilities, counselling and mentoring arrangements, institutional support systems and student grievance redressal mechanisms.

The committee will also identify systemic gaps, recommend measures to strengthen student well-being and suggest steps to prevent similar incidents. It can interact with stakeholders and examine relevant records and documents.

The ministry said it is making interim administrative arrangements to ensure the institute functions smoothly, keeping students' interests and well-being in mind.

WHAT HAPPENED AT IIIT RANCHI?

The case concerns Aditya Kumar, a first-year student from Bhagalpur, Bihar, who joined the institute in August and was appearing for his mid-semester examinations.

According to institute Director Rajiv Srivastava, the administration had been informed of a power outage on campus the previous night. During this period, the student allegedly locked himself inside his room and died by suicide.

Fellow students subsequently broke open the door and took him out. An ambulance stationed on campus transported him to a hospital within minutes, but doctors declared him brought dead, the director said.

Srivastava said the institute would examine whether any factors that could have been addressed might help prevent similar incidents in the future.

The committee's findings could bring greater scrutiny to the support systems available to students, including access to counselling, mentoring and effective grievance redressal mechanisms.

(With inputs from ANI)

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