MP Brittas seeks edu minister’s intervention on suicides at NiT

NEw new delhi: CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader king john Brittas on sun wrote to unification breeding minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking urgent intervention on the issue of ‘alarming series’ of student suicides and suicide attempts at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra in the past two months. He has called for the formation of a panel to probe the circumstances behind the incidents and review the response system of the institute.Four BTech students allegedly died by suicide at NIT Kurukshetra this year between February 16 and April 16 while the campus reported a suicide attempt by a 19-year-old student on late Friday night.“The recurrence of such tragic incidents within a premier national institution of higher education raises serious questions regarding student safety, institutional response mechanisms, and the adequacy of mental health support systems….[And] suggests the existence of deeper systemic concerns requiring immediate and independent examination,” Brittas wrote in his letter to Pradhan. HT has a copy of the letter.Referring to new reports that institute has reported four suicide cases in the last two months, with three occurring in April only, Brittas said that the NIT Kurukshetra’s response to these incidents has raised serious apprehensions among students regarding transparency, sensitivity, and adherence to proper emergency protocols. He also alleged that concerns have been raised regarding the functioning of the mentor–mentee system and “insensitive remarks allegedly made by faculty members, which have reportedly aggravated the distress experienced by students.”Terming the recurrence of incidents in a centrally funded technical institution as “tragic” and “deeply distressing,” Brittas in his letter to Pradhan urged the minister “to issue urgent directions for the constitution of an independent expert committee to comprehensively examine the circumstances leading to the repeated incidents, and to review the adequacy of institutional emergency response protocols and standard operating procedures for addressing situations involving student distress.”NIT on April 18 transferred two professors, whom the protesting students blamed for negligence on April 16. The NIT administration, in view of the prevailing circumstances, on April 18 also asked around 5,500 students from UG, PG and PhD to vacate their hostels by April 19. It has also decided to announce holidays for the students until further notice.Brittas, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala said “sudden closure” of the campus and direction to vacate hostels at short notice, have reportedly created serious academic and logistical difficulties for students, particularly those travelling from distant states such as Kerala and for Non-Resident Indian students, especially in view of the impending end-semester examinations scheduled to commence in early May 2026.Brittas has urged Pradhan and NIT administration to consider “immediate interim measures” to ensure that academic schedules and examinations are conducted in a manner that does not exacerbate the prevailing psychological distress among students.“At the same time, the actions reportedly taken for the abrupt and forcible closure of the campus, rather than addressing the underlying systemic deficiencies, and perceived as an attempt to quell student protests, also merit urgent review,” he said.Union education ministry officials did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.Earlier on Saturday Brahmjit Singh, senior most professor at NIT, blamed the digital media for taking the children towards loneliness and said that their interaction with their friends and parents has decreased.A member of a three-member review committee set up on March 29 by the Union education ministry said the recent incidents have prompted scrutiny of student support systems alongside governance and institutional functioning. The panel is expected to visit the institute next week.The institute on Sunday organised “Sarvkalyan Yajna or Hawan” at 9 AM in the Flag Park of the Institute for the “peace of the deceased students.”“Our hostel administration authorities asked us to participate in Hawan conducted by the institute in which several officials of the institute participated. Instead of actually strengthening the support system for students, they are engaged in such activities,” a second year BTech student told HT.NIT Kurukshetra has formed a five-member committee to investigate recent student suicide cases, besides the three separate committees to look into issues faced by students on campus, according to a PTI report. NIT Kurukshetra’s probe panel will interact with students, professors, wardens, and other staff over the issues. The probe panel will be headed by the dean of student welfare Lillie Dewan, and includes J K Kapoor, Praveen Aggarwal, Sandeep Singhal, and Manoj Sinha.As per the PTI report, the institute has formed three separate committees; the first committee comprises wardens who will visit hostels daily and interact directly with students, the second is a mentorship committee, wherein one mentor is assigned to a group of 20-25 students and remains in regular contact, including through phone conversations and the third committee will include two faculty members for each hostel, who will continue to visit regularly to engage with students and understand their problems.