Centre forms panel to probe student suicides at IIT Kanpur, seeks mental health reforms nationwide

Centre sets up panel to examine student suicides at IIT Kanpur

The Centre has constituted a three-member committee to examine cases of student suicides at IIT Kanpur and recommend measures to strengthen mental health and well-being support across higher education institutions. The move follows renewed attention on student deaths at IIT campuses, including a recent suicide at IIT Kanpur.The committee will review institutional processes, existing support systems and gaps in early intervention mechanisms. It has been asked to submit its report within 15 days, according to PTI.Committee composition and mandateThe panel will be headed by Anil Sahastrabuddhe, chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum. Psychiatrist Jitendra Nagpal and Rina Sonowal Kouli, joint secretary (higher education) in the Union education ministry, are the other members. Officials quoted by PTI said the committee will assess patterns emerging from past cases and suggest preventive frameworks that can be adopted nationally.The mandate includes reviewing counselling access, faculty sensitisation, grievance redressal systems and coordination between academic and residential units on campus. The panel will also examine how institutions track and respond to early warning signs of psychological distress, officials told PTI.Scale of suicides across IITsData compiled by the Global IIT Alumni Support Group show that at least 65 students died by suicide across IITs between January 2021 and December 2025. Of these, 30 cases were recorded in the past two years, according to figures cited by alumni members in interaction with TNN.The data indicate that suicides occurred across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes. Alumni groups and student bodies have flagged recurring references to personal or academic stress in official statements following deaths, as noted by TNN.IIT Kanpur and comparative figuresIIT Kanpur recorded nine suicide deaths over the past two years, accounting for about 30 per cent of all such cases across IITs during this period, figures shared by alumni in conversation with TNN stated. IIT Kharagpur followed with seven cases, while IIT Bombay recorded one suicide despite having a larger student population.Dheeraj Singh, founder of the Global IIT Alumni Support Group and an IIT Kanpur alumnus, said the Supreme Court has formed a task force to address student mental health concerns, Singh quoted by TNN. He referred to judicial observations recognising mental health as integral to the Right to Life under Article 21, citing the Saha vs State of Andhra Pradesh case in interaction with TNN.National contextThe IIT figures sit within a wider national picture. India recorded more than 13,000 student suicides in 2023, according to NCRB data cited by TNN, translating to an average of about 36 incidents daily. The Centre’s panel is expected to place its recommendations within this broader context while proposing institution-level reforms for sustained mental health support.