Protests have broken out at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi, after the death of a first-year student, with students alleging that the institute authorities failed to take him to hospital in time. The ministry of education announced on Tuesday that it had formed a three-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the death and review the institute’s student support systems.
The committee will be headed by Rajni Abbi, South Campus director at the University of Delhi, and will include a senior psychiatrist and a senior officer from the ministry.
The panel will examine the availability and functioning of basic facilities, institutional support systems, counselling and mentoring arrangements, and student grievance redressal mechanisms, the ministry said in a statement.
It will identify systemic gaps and recommend measures to strengthen student well-being and help prevent similar incidents. The committee will consult stakeholders and examine relevant records and documents as required, the ministry said.
The student was found hanging from the ceiling in his hostel room on Saturday night after other residents alerted the institute administration that the room was locked from the inside.
Students have alleged that the institute authorities failed to take him to hospital in time. The allegation has not been independently established.
The ministry said it was making interim administrative arrangements to ensure the institute continued to function effectively, keeping students’ interests and well-being in mind.
IIIT Ranchi operates under a public-private partnership model.