IIT Roorkee postpones 70 exams to November 22 after student's death

Following the death of a 20-year-old student allegedly by suicide at IIT Roorkee, the institute has postponed 70 examinations to November 22, officials said on Sunday.

The exams were originally scheduled to be held on Friday.

The deceased, Ayush Rajauria, was a second-year student of the institute's BS-MS programme in Mathematics and Computing and hailed from Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad.

According to police, the incident came to light around midnight on Thursday after Kuldeep Singh Negi, a security officer at IIT Roorkee, informed the Kotwali Roorkee police that a student had died by suicide in room number BS 10 on the second floor of Govind Bhawan hostel.

A purported suicide note was found in his room in which he allegedly wrote about suffering from depression and being distressed with his life, according to officials.

Officials said Rajauria had been receiving counselling on campus for the past year to cope with mental stress.

Speaking to PTI, Sonika Srivastava, in-charge of the IIT Roorkee's media cell, said the student was being counselled at the campus wellness centre -- a facility dedicated to supporting students who may be experiencing depression or other psychological challenges.

She also said that all the students and their families have been informed about the postponement of the exams and the revised scheduled date, November 22.

Police said on Friday that the student's family had been informed and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death was underway.

In a statement, IIT Roorkee has expressed grief over the student's death and extended condolences to his family.

The death has sent shockwaves through students and parents, bringing the focus back on the mental health of IIT students across the country and the rising number of student suicides on campuses of the prestigious institutes.