Three students’ associations at IIT Bombay have rejected an internal committee set up by the institute to probe the circumstances behind the alleged suicide of a Dalit student, demanding the panel be reconstituted with more Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe members and outside members.

The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), Ambedker Students’ Collective and Dastak on Friday submitted a memorandum, demanding the head of the panel and half its members be SCs and STs.

The students have also demanded the resignation of the institute director, Subhashis Chaudhary, and sought the invocation of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the anti-ragging law.

Darshan Solanki, 18, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the seven-storey hostel building on Sunday. Some of his friends have alleged he had been upset over casteist taunts. The police have registered a case of accidental death.

“Till now we do not know who are part of the probe committee apart from its head. We feel it is a cover-up exercise. That is why we are demanding a fresh panel,” a member of the APPSC said.

Apart from probing the suicide, the committee is also expected to assess the working of the institutional support system for students.

The three student bodies have demanded that the minutes of the new committee’s meetings and its discussions be recorded and published.

Some of their other demands:

• The establishment of a mandatory mentorship programme for newly admitted SC and ST students
• A list of casteist practices (such as casual casteist remarks and anti-reservation comments) at every hostel and academic space, with every violation punished.
• Disclosure of the results of surveys conducted by the institute on caste discrimination and its impact on students over the past few semesters
• Strengthening of the Student Wellness Centre with more SC and ST counsellors, who must have proper training and sensitisation on mental health issues arising out of social structures such as caste and gender

Hansaraj Suman, a Delhi University teacher and chairman of the Forum for Social Justice, said that many SC and ST students may need extra coaching to cope with study pressure and improve their communication skills. “Institutions must be sensitive to the requirement of SC and ST students,” he said.