Students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi staged a major protest on Monday following the death of a 31-year-old MSc Physics student, with protesters demanding an independent inquiry into alleged administrative lapses, accountability of officials and reforms in the institute's student welfare and mental health systems.

Classes at IIT Delhi were suspended on Monday amid the protests, which were held at the Lecture Hall Complex. According to students involved in the agitation, thousands of students gathered on campus, with a sit-in continuing as they sought answers from the institute administration.

The student, identified as Rishikesh Kumar, died on August 22. Police have said that no suicide note was recovered and that the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated. Students, however, have alleged that Rishikesh had been facing difficulties related to hostel accommodation, academics and access to institutional support following a period of mental health treatment.

There has been no immediate response from IIT on the students' demands.

Student's Alleged Struggles

According to a document containing minutes of a student meeting held at IIT Delhi on August 23, Rishikesh had begun facing serious mental health difficulties after the death of his father. The document states that he was admitted to the IIT Delhi Hospital in March and subsequently underwent treatment at VIMHANS for around a month. It says he later received medical fitness clearance and returned to IIT Delhi.

The document further alleges that after seeking semester withdrawal and returning to campus, Rishikesh found that his name had been removed from the hostel. It states that although rooms were allegedly available in another hostel, accommodation was not allocated to him, following which he was compelled to live outside campus with his mother. According to the students' account, this further isolated him from his peers.

The students have also raised questions over the manner in which his family allegedly interacted with the Student Affairs office while seeking hostel accommodation.

The students' document further alleges that Rishikesh faced difficulties in obtaining an academic project required for completion of his degree. It says that after several project options did not materialise, his mother informed a friend on August 6 that he had attempted suicide and also approached the institute regarding his mental health condition. The document alleges that no adequate help was provided. These claims could not be independently verified by ANI.

The document also alleges that Rishikesh sought to withdraw from the semester and restart his first year but faced difficulties in obtaining the required medical certification.

Broader Demands and Renewed Focus

Following his death, students held a meeting at the campus's Red Square on August 23. According to the minutes, students raised concerns about alleged prejudice against those with mental health conditions, the impact of off-campus accommodation, rigid academic procedures, communication gaps and the functioning of counselling and student welfare services.

The students have demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Rishikesh's death and alleged administrative lapses. They have also sought accountability for officials found responsible, greater transparency in the institute's mental health protocol and an examination of how hostel allocation, academic projects and institutional support are handled for students facing mental health difficulties.

The students' document also claims that eight IIT Delhi students have died by suicide on campus over the past 30 months. ANI could not independently verify the figure or establish from official records whether all the deaths cited by the students were suicides. The broader concern over repeated student deaths has nevertheless become a major part of the ongoing protest.

Separately, reports on Monday said students were demanding an independent probe, action against senior officials and compensation for Rishikesh's family. The institute's Director Rangan Banerjee and senior faculty members subsequently met protesting students. The protest has brought renewed focus on student mental health, hostel accommodation and academic support at one of India's premier technical institutions.

Police Investigation Details

On Saturday, a 31-year-old student of the MSc Physics Department at IIT Delhi died after allegedly jumping from a building on the institute's campus, Delhi Police said. According to police, a PCR call regarding the incident was received at around 8:33 AM at Kishangarh police station on Saturday, following which police personnel reached the spot and shifted the injured student to the IIT Delhi campus hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Team were called to the spot for inspection and collection of evidence, police said. During the preliminary enquiry, police found that the deceased had entered the IIT Delhi campus through the main gate at around 8:00 AM. He subsequently went to the Lecture Hall Complex, took a lift to the sixth floor and allegedly jumped from the front side of the building towards the Lecture Hall Complex.

Police said that no apparent injury marks other than those attributable to the fall had been found so far. "No suicide note has been found. A mobile phone was recovered from the pocket of the deceased and will be examined as per due procedure," Delhi Police said. (ANI)