IIT Kanpur lost 5 bright students in 18 months; AIRSA demands mental health support, financial aid

NEW DELHI: In the last 18 months, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) lost five bright students to suicides, the All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) said while expressing its “sorrow and deep concern” over the recent tragic death of Ankit Yadav, a PhD scholar at the institute.

As per reports, several students pursuing various courses at the premier institute allegedly died by suicides on campus in the recent years. Highlighting the ‘deeply distressing pattern’ of student suicide at IIT Kanpur, AIRSA said five scholars - Pallavi Chilka in December 2023, Vikas Kumar Meena and Priyanka Jaiswal in January 2024, Pragati in October, and now Ankit Yadav in February 2025 - have took their own life.

“These repeated tragedies underscore the severe mental health challenges faced by research scholars due to academic pressure, financial constraints, lack of proper mentorship, and inadequate mental health support,” the scholars association said.

The students group urged IIT Kanpur to establish a dedicated mental health support system, regular counselling and mentorship programmes, reduction in academic and research stressors, transparent grievance redressal mechanism, and financial support for research scholars.

Also read IIT Kanpur Suicide: No TA-duty for PhDs, review of labs, investigation – students make 11 demands

“Despite devoting years to rigorous academic pursuits, many scholars struggle without adequate institutional backing, leading to devastating consequences. The increasing frequency of such incidents calls for immediate and comprehensive intervention from the IIT Kanpur administration,” it added.

Students of IIT Kanpur have made 11 demands in the open general open meeting held after the PhD scholar’s death on February 10. The demands to the administration include immediate suspension of a professor and closure of his lab. They also requested IIT Kanpur director to constitute a committee to investigate the matter.