IIT Delhi faces inquiry into student mental health and academic support

An inquiry is examining student distress and institutional responses at IIT Delhi following concerns regarding how mental health support interacts with academic and residential requirements. While IIT Delhi maintains that the student in question received medical reviews, counseling, and approved semester withdrawals, students have raised questions about whether seeking help for anxiety led to subsequent academic and accommodation difficulties.

The Supreme Court’s task force has been tasked with investigating potential discrimination and the needs of marginalized communities, including caste, gender, ethnicity, and disability. This comes amid data provided to Parliament by the Education Ministry, which reported that over 13,000 students from SC, ST, and OBC communities discontinued studies across central universities, IITs, and IIMs over a five-year period. Specifically within IITs, the figures included 2,066 OBC students, 1,068 SC students, and 408 ST students.