IIT Chennai Student Found Dead in Room, loneliness suspected behind suicide

New Delhi (India), April 22, 2023: A 20-year-old Chemical Engineering student from Maharashtra, who was pursuing his second year at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai, was found dead in his room yesterday.

According to an investigating officer, the student had often expressed his loneliness to his friends, saying, “No one has time for me, all are busy.” A note recovered from his room thanked his friends for being nice to him.

The officer added that the “academically brilliant” student could not have a healthy social life to relieve his stress. This year, if the police confirm the student’s death as a suicide after an investigation, it would be the fourth case at IIT-Madras.

While the reason for the student’s death is unknown, the institute has reiterated its “proactive measures” to help students beat stress. The institute has a “be happy” website to help students remain stress-free, as well as a “Kushal faculty program” to develop a positive mindset among students.

Experts have blamed the highly demanding rigor of the B Tech course, which follows years of stressful preparation to crack the difficult entrance exam to get a seat in the IIT, for students’ mental health issues.

Additionally, issues of acceptance, culture shock, and pressure to prove themselves among students from backward communities have also been raised. To address these concerns, IITs across India recently launched a wellness program.

The student’s death has once again brought to the forefront the need for educational institutions to provide a supportive environment for students, both academically and emotionally.