IIT Madras PhD student dies today; Third death this year

NEW DELHI: A PhD student, Sachin Kumar Jain from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was found dead today, March 31, 2023. This is the third death reported from the institute in a month. The reason for the death is not confirmed yet. The family of the deceased student has been informed of the incident.

The deceased student, Sachin was a PhD research scholar at the mechanical engineering department at IIT Madras. Sachin had an exemplary academic and research record, said the institute. In an email IIT Madras sent condolences to the family and said, "We request everyone to respect the privacy of the family at this unfortunate moment. The institute expresses its heartfelt condolences and shares the grief of the friends and family of the deceased student."

Also Read | IIT Madras student hangs self; students stage night-long protest after another suicide attempt

Previously, two BTech students from IITM died by suicide this year. The deaths gained traction and resulted in students demanding responsibility from the administration. The ChintaBar, a student body recognised by IIT Madras said, "When these incident happened, the official mail from the institute never mentioned that the deaths happened by suicide. By not mentioning the term ‘suicide’, the institute administration is being evasive in addressing such serious matter and taking a step back from resolving the academic and non-academic difficulties faced by the students."

Data shared by the ministry of education showed as many as 61 student suicides in IITs, NITs, IIMs in last 5 years. In just the two-and-a-half months of 2023, six IIT and NIT students have taken their own lives, says report.

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