IIT Student Deaths: Alumni Study Flags Rise, Calls for Stronger Welfare Measures

An IIT alumni group’s compilation of student deaths has raised concerns over campus welfare, reporting that around 70 per cent of the deaths it recorded between 2006 and September 2026 occurred from 2016 onwards.

Compiled by Dheeraj Singh, founder of the Global IIT Alumni Support Group and an IIT-Kanpur alumnus, the dataset draws on Right to Information responses and media reports. It is not a centralised official database of all IIT student deaths, and its findings require verification against institutional records.

The analysis calls for stronger mentoring, confidential mental-health services and independent scrutiny of past deaths, alongside measures addressing inequalities in students’ campus experiences.

What does the analysis suggest?

According to Singh’s analysis, around 82 per cent of the suicides recorded in the dataset occurred on IIT campuses. Recorded deaths were more frequent during examination and result periods and declined during semester breaks.

These patterns do not, by themselves, establish the causes of individual deaths. Singh argues, however, that the increase cannot be explained by rising student enrolment alone.

“The evidence establishes that student suicides in IITs constitute a chronic and worsening public health crisis, not a series of isolated or statistically insignificant events. They are patterned, foreseeable, and preventable,” he said.

The analysis also identifies male BTech students and female PhD scholars as groups warranting particular attention. Together, they accounted for around 60 per cent of the suicides recorded in the compilation. Their share of recorded deaths alone does not establish their relative risk without corresponding enrolment figures.

Recent deaths prompt protests and inquiries

The findings come amid renewed scrutiny of student welfare following deaths at IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.

At IIT Delhi, MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, 31, died on August 22. Students subsequently demanded an independent investigation and accountability. The institute constituted an external inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding his death.

At IIT Bombay, BTech student Sahil Wakode, 20, died on September 19, prompting campus protests. The institute later apologised for its initial statement about the circumstances preceding his death, saying such statements were inappropriate while the matter remained under investigation.

Disparities need closer examination

Singh’s compilation also reports differences across social categories. According to the analysis, SC and ST students had roughly twice the suicide death rate of General-category students over the period examined.

For the post-Covid period, it estimates that the rate among SC students was 2.6 times that of General-category students, while the rate among ST students was 4.2 times higher.

These are findings from Singh’s analysis of the available records, rather than independently verified official rates. Assessing them requires scrutiny of the underlying death records, enrolment data and methodology.

What changes have been proposed?

Speaking to ANI in August, Singh outlined a 14-point policy roadmap. It includes structured mentoring involving peers, seniors and alumni; early identification of students needing support through attendance and continuous assessment; confidential mental-health services; campus-wide wellbeing surveys; and training for faculty, staff and students.

Other proposals include incorporating campus wellbeing indicators into the National Institutional Ranking Framework, appointing dedicated wellbeing leadership at IITs and establishing an independent expert committee to examine past deaths.

The roadmap also calls for diversity and inclusion to be integrated into mental-health planning.

“Together, the evidence and recommendations provide a clear opportunity for timely action to safeguard student life, dignity, and equality,” Singh said.

With inputs from ANI