Student Body Calls For Reform After IIT Kharagpur Student Mohammed Asif Qamar's Death (image-facebook/SIO of India)

Following the recent death of a 22-year-old BTech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, the student body has raised calls for justice and institutional reforms, highlighting a concerning pattern of suicides in premier institutions.

The student, identified as Mohammed Asif Qamar from Bihar’s Sheohar district, was found dead inside his hostel room in the SDS Block of Madan Mohan Malviya Hall of IIT Kharagpur. The student body, in its statement posted on Facebook, stated that Asif’s elder brother Nadeem Qamar, along with two paternal cousins, visited the campus accompanied by Shafiqul Islam Mondal, PR Secretary of SIO West Bengal, President of SIO East Medinipur Sahinul Arif, and Samaul Ali.

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The post-mortem report, which was acquired from Kharagpur Town Police Station, had cited suicide as the cause of death. The group had also visited Asif’s room in Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall and met with institute authorities.

IIT Kharagpur had recently witnessed three other alleged student suicides: a fourth-year student in April, a third-year undergraduate student in January, and a fourth-year student in June 2024 had committed suicide.

When the police broke into Asif’s room around 3:30 a.m., the student’s room was locked from inside since Saturday night.

Commenting on the recent tragedy, Shafiqul Islam stated, “The suicides of three students at IIT Kharagpur in the past five months are deeply distressing. The institute must address underlying issues and provide avenues for moral, spiritual, and mental well-being. Asif’s family is not satisfied with the report. His brother mentioned that Asif had a video call with their mother on Saturday night, during which he showed no signs of distress or unusual behaviour.”

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The student body had urged the institution to immediately re-evaluate academic pressures, strengthen mental health support, and to ensure a compassionate institutional culture. “We demand a transparent and thorough investigation into Asif’s death and urge IIT Kharagpur and the Ministry of Education to take immediate and accountable steps to prioritize student welfare. We stand in solidarity with Asif’s family and the IIT Kharagpur student community and remain committed to advocating for systemic reforms across India’s educational institutions,” the statement read.