IIT Guwahati has been thrust into the spotlight after a third-year Computer Science student from Uttar Pradesh was found hanging in his hostel room on Monday. This tragic event marks the fourth student death at the institute this year, following an earlier incident on August 9, when an engineering student reportedly took their own life. In response to the recent death and ongoing concerns, students at IIT Guwahati launched protests, attributing the tragedies to severe academic pressure and mental harassment from the administration. They voiced criticism over the institute’s stressful environment and the administration’s role in worsening mental health issues.
The crisis led to notable developments when Professor Kanduru V Krishna, the institute’s dean, stepping down from his position on Wednesday, resulting in students temporarily suspending their protests. Furthermore, the administration has promised that three additional faculty members will resign within the week. The dean’s resignation led to a massive search on Google which led ‘Guwahati’ to appear as one of the most trending topics on Google Trends for the entire day today.
According to a statement, IIT Guwahati Director Devendra Jalihal engaged with protesting students for several hours, addressing their issues and concerns. A student later reported that the director listened attentively and assured them that three additional professors would resign within a week. The protesting students alleged that the deceased student was grappling with health problems and became mentally distressed after receiving a failed attendance mark (FA). They claimed that despite submitting the necessary medical certificates, these were disregarded, exacerbating his depression. In a show of solidarity, Director Jalihal also joined a candlelight vigil held on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, IIT Guwahati had requested that journalists refrain from visiting the campus following the recent student death. “We ask media representatives not to come to the campus at this time. The institute is addressing the situation with the highest priority,” the statement read. It added that media would be invited to the campus soon for a meeting with the director.
Since Tuesday evening, several journalists attempting to access the campus in North Guwahati have been turned away at the gates. Additionally, IIT Guwahati officials have been unavailable for comment, either in person or by phone. Journalists who were denied entry noted that they were unable to fulfill their duties and were only provided with a written statement, with no further response to their inquiries.