Dozens of students of IIT Delhi on Monday protested against what they perceive as the institute’s insensitive attitude towards the increase in suicides on the campus in the past few months.

IIT Delhi has witnessed the deaths of four students by suicide in the last seven months. An MTech student who was bright in studies and had obtained campus placement ended his life on Friday.

The students held posters and stood in front of director Prof. Rangan Banerjee’s office on Monday. They mainly demanded proper investigation into the continuous cases of suicide.

“The students are blamed every time for suicide — that he was not good in studies or he had personal problems. There is never any information about how the institute is treating the students. How are the faculty members dealing with students? Do they not share some responsibility for the well-being of students? There should be a proper investigation into these cases, including the treatment the students receive,” said a student.

Another protester said that the students had demanded a day’s pause after the
death of MTech student Sanjay Nerkar on Friday, but the institute did not accept the demand.

“The students wanted a one-day pause in academic and examination activities. They were unable to comprehend the situation. The least the institute could have done to help the students accept the situation was to allow them a day’s relief. But the authorities did not agree. This shows the insensitivity of the institute,” said the student.

The protesters have circulated a Google form to seek feedback from students on the issue of suicide. They will present the findings to the authorities.

“The authorities have not met the students ever since the incident (Nerkar’s death) happened. The authorities claim that they are taking several measures but certainly these measures are not adequate,” the student said.

Five students have committed suicide in the IITs in the last seven weeks of 2024.