NEW DELHI: The death of IIT Delhi MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar has triggered fresh questions over mental health support and student welfare at the country’s premier engineering institutes, with IIT Kanpur alumnus Ashutosh Ranka saying he was “very sad and angry” that many of the same issues he witnessed a decade ago continue to persist.Ranka, who said he graduated from IIT Kanpur 10 years ago, shared a video on X expressing solidarity with protesting IIT Delhi students and criticising the mental health support available to students at IITs.“It’s been 10 years since I graduated from IIT Kanpur, and I feel very sad and angry that even after so many years, IITs have the same issues. In my time also, one of my batchmates committed suicide, one of my college seniors committed suicide, and even today I am very angry to hear about Rishikesh.”Ranka claimed that more than 65 suicides had occurred across IITs in the past five years and said the actual number could be higher because some cases may not have been documented.“In the last 5 years, more than 65 suicides have occurred in IITs. There will be many more such suicides that have not even been documented today.”He questioned whether institutes were doing enough to provide students with meaningful mental health and academic support, particularly in cases involving students facing personal or academic setbacks.“Even after Rishikesh’s father’s death, if you are not able to provide him with appropriate mental health support, if you are not able to provide him accommodation in your campus, then you should feel very ashamed.”Ranka also criticised what he described as the limited approach towards mental health support in educational institutions and called for greater access to trained professionals.“Mental health support has been made such a taboo in this country. In any institute, in any college, only food is provided in the name of mental health support. Why can’t we have professional counsellors, professional therapists, professional psychiatrists in these institutes?”He said the academic pressure at premier institutions made such support particularly important.“These institutes often have high academic pressure. Why are you not providing that kind of support to the students?”Referring specifically to the circumstances surrounding Rishikesh’s case, Ranka said he had heard that the student faced difficulties after a semester drop, including problems with taking up academic projects and securing hostel accommodation.“In Rishikesh’s case, I heard that after the semester drop, he faced problems in taking academic projects, he faced problems in taking accommodation in the hostel.”Ranka said the situation should have been viewed in the context of the personal loss suffered by the student.“If a child has lost his parents, his father, then imagine the situation he would be in at that time. You did not support him in any way. You should feel very ashamed.”Ranka also extended his support to students protesting on the IIT Delhi campus and urged the institute to address their demands.“All the students protesting in IIT Delhi, we stand in full solidarity with all of you. You are fighting for the right cause. We also ask the institute to listen to all the demands of the students.”“And no punitive action should be taken against any student who is protesting right now.”Ranka’s post was subsequently reposted by others expressing support for the IIT Delhi students. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reposted it with the message, ‘Justice for Rishikesh’.Saurav Das also reposted Ranka’s video and wrote, ‘Incompetent and corrupt people have been appointed to these positions of great responsibility. They called the youth lazy but just look at these institutions and you’ll see who is actually lazy to fix our problems.’He added, ‘In solidarity with IIT Delhi students.’Family had raised concerns before Rishikesh’s deathRishikesh’s family has alleged that his mental state had deteriorated in the days before his death. His brother Abhishek Kumar said the 31-year-old had withdrawn from routine activities, described himself as a “big loser” and told his mother that he was having suicidal thoughts.“He had started feeling like a complete failure in life. For nearly a week, he had lost interest in everything. He would not properly use his mobile phone, would not work on his laptop or type anything and had abandoned almost everything,” the brother said.The family has also alleged that Rishikesh had been disturbed by his interactions with the institute’s administration and had faced difficulties related to accommodation.They said the family had spoken to him at length on the night before his death and was considering taking him to a doctor again and arranging counselling and treatment.The family was staying in a rented two-room apartment after Rishikesh was allegedly not provided hostel accommodation by the institute.The family also alleged that they were informed of Rishikesh’s death by police rather than the institute.The family has called for a detailed inquiry and accountability, saying they want measures to prevent similar incidents involving other students.The institute subsequently constituted a five-member External Inquiry Committee. According to IIT sources, the committee includes former Uttarakhand Director General of Police and IIT Delhi alumnus Ashok Kumar and AIIMS New Delhi’s Department of Psychiatry head Prof Pratap Sharma, among others.The committee was formed a day after hundreds of students gathered on campus demanding an inquiry into the death.
