IIT Kanpur PhD scholar with UGC fellowship allegedly dies by suicide 6 months after admission

NEW DELHI: In yet another tragic incident, a PhD scholar from the Department of Chemistry at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) allegedly died by suicide today on campus. Ankit Yadav, joined as a research scholar in July 2024 with an UGC fellowship.

The police is investigating the matter as the reason for the drastic step is uncertain. "IIT Kanpur is actively cooperating with the police and forensic team in the ongoing investigation," the official statement read. Notably, the student took the extreme step 6 months after taking admission at IIT-Kanpur. However, the police did not find any suicide note, according to sources.

The IIT-K administration said it is taking all necessary steps to prevent such unfortunate incidents. “At this hour of grief, the Institute condoles the untimely demise of a promising researcher and prays for strength to the bereaved family,” it added.

“With profound grief, IIT Kanpur mourns the tragic and untimely demise of Mr. Ankit Yadav, a PhD scholar in the Department of Chemistry, today. Mr. Yadav was a promising research scholar who joined the institute in July 2024, with an UGC Fellowship,” the official statement read.

Kalyanpur police official Dhananjay Pandey said: "Students saw the PhD scholar coming out of his room in the morning. But later they found his room locked for several hours. Students in the nearby rooms tried opening the door and found him hanging from the ceiling fan. He was taken to the campus's health facility where the doctor informed about his death. The security informed us around 7 pm. No suicide note is found."

Last month, a woman engineer working on a cybersecurity project at IIT Kanpur accused her colleague, Shubham Malviya, of sexual harassment. In October 2024, a 28-year-old PhD student studying earth science at the institute died by hanging herself inside the hostel room; it was the fourth incident in 2024.

If you know someone - friend or family member - at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA's official website or can call ICALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.