3 Suicides In 6 Months, IIT Guwahati Announces New Measures For Students Well-Being

The Director of IIT Guwahati issued an official statement the day after a 3rd year BTech student of the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) committed suicide. On Monday, a 21-year-old student of the Computer Science and Engineering Program was found dead in his room. The body has been sent for post-mortem and the investigation is underway.

The Director said, “The well-being of everyone remains our top priority, and we are fully committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all”.

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The official statement acknowledged the distress among the students over the unfortunate death and also said that the IIT Guwahati understands the concerns of the student community. “As a new Director who has taken charge recently, he is committed to resolving these issues and ensuring overall student well-being on this campus”, IIT said.

The incident triggered a mass demonstration outside the administration building at the IIT Guwahati. Students claimed that the incident happened due to academic pressure. The protesting students demanded that the Dean and the Director address their concerns. Following this Prof, Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, met students and discussed their issues and concerns for hours.

Following the incident, the official statement also mentioned the resignation of the Dean and the institutional actions over this. IIT Guwahati has announced new measures to bring change and has decided to expand its well-being services. The institute has decided to get specialized counselors for crisis intervention and long-term assistance.

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The institute has conducted a comprehensive review of the safety and emergency response protocols including assessment of well-being resources to strengthen support systems and enhance campus safety.

This is the third such incident in the institute this year. On August 9, a 23-year-old student from Uttar Pradesh, studying MTech was found dead in her hostel room. Also in April, a 20-year-old BTech student from Bihar was found dead in the hostel room.