'65 suicides in 5 years': CJP demands 'immediate' attention to structural problems amid IIT Delhi protests

As students continue to protest after the death of an IIT Delhi student, the Cockroach Janta Party has expressed support for the demonstrations and stated that the rise of student suicides, especially in Indian Institutes of Technology across the country, raises a "clear structural problem."

"It is extremely shocking that IITD has witnessed 8 suicides in last 3 years. And overall IITs have had 65 suicides in last 5 years. There is a clear structural problem in our IITs which warrants immediate attention," said CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka.

A 31-year-old, pursuing an MSc in Physics, allegedly jumped to death from the sixth floor of the institute’s Lecture Hall Complex on campus Saturday morning. The IIT-Delhi administration confirmed the incident in a statement on August 22.

In his statement, Ranka highlighted that the student was dealing with mental health issues after the loss of his father.

"But the Institute seems to have failed to provide the requisite support, including his hostel accommodation and appropriate counseling," Ranka wrote on X, adding that the CJP stands in solidarity with the students at IIT Delhi and the family of the deceased.

IIT Delhi students demand dean's resignation

On Monday, students across the institution staged a protest from 9am. Due to the hours-long campus unrest, afternoon classes for the remainder of the day were also suspended. The protest continued till 5pm.

Students carried placards that read “IIT-D: Dreams or Death," as they demanded the resignation of the dean and associate deans of the Students’ Welfare Office, as well as the head of the physics department.

Students also called for an independent probe into alleged institutional lapses and ₹1 crore in compensation for the deceased student’s family.

Also Read | Protest at IIT-Delhi over 31-year-old student’s suicide

“We demand an independent investigation into the lapses committed by the administration that made the student take his life, address issues like non-allocation of housing facility, denial of academic projects...clear disclosure of the institute’s mental health protocol regarding students seeking counselling. We also demand the resignation of the dean and associate deans (ADSW and ADHM) in the students affairs office and the head of the department, physics, and we demand the family of the student to be compensated adequately and compassionately with ₹1 crore,” the demand charter submitted by the protesting students said.

The protest continued on Tuesday as students demanded answers from the institution and flagged the matter of eight student suicides at IIT Delhi in the past 30 months.

"By Monday, everything was going on normally, as if nothing had happened. It was treated as if it were just another routine incident, with a statement expressing regret and the matter being closed. This led to anger among the students, and we said we want a solution. There have been eight suicides at IIT Delhi in the past 30 months... Eight suicides," a student told news agency PTI.