KIIT Suicides: UGC issues show cause notice to university after probe panel finds serious lapses

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday issued a show cause notice to KIIT Bhubaneshwar after a fact-finding panel probing student suicides pointed out serious lapses on the university's part, officials said. The panel was constituted in May by the UGC after a 20-year-old Nepalese student of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room. The incident took place after the suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, another Nepalese student of the same institute, on February 16.

"The said incident has raised serious concerns regarding the mental health support system, safety protocols, and administrative response mechanisms prevailing in the institution. The Fact-Finding Committee constituted by UGC to investigate these suicide incidents has identified critical lapses that contributed to the escalation of events," a UGC official said. "The university has been issued a show-cause notice and given seven days time to respond. Failure in doing so may compel UGC to proceed with appropriate actions, including but not limited to disciplinary proceedings," the official added.

The UGC has warned that the institution deemed to be a University will be warned in writing with public notice or barred from any expansion in terms of diversification for three years or more. "The UGC may order closure of the courses or programmes of study or Departments and off campuses or constituent institutions or off-shore campuses or may result in withdrawal of the status of institution deemed to be university," it added.

University ignored harassment complaints

The illegal and unlawful activities by KIIT in Bhubaneshwar led to the suicides of two Nepalese students , and the actions of the administration amount to criminal liability, the fact-finding panel set up by the UGC has found. The panel said the "suicide could have been averted." The report noted that the university had the power to punish the boy after the first complaint. However, they "favoured" the boy by forcing an illegal compromise with the girl, which led to her suicide.

Serious lapses in infrastructure and governance, ignorance of complaints of sexual harassment and prioritising the university's reputation over regulations, law of the land and international relations of the country, are among the "illegal and unlawful activities" on the university's part, the panel said. The committee has issued a set of recommendations, based on which the commission is contemplating a freeze on the university's expansion and departmental action against erring officials. It also observed that members of the internal complaints committee (ICC) and senior administrative personnel of the university "are liable for criminal punishment as per law."