IIT Delhi forms new inquiry panel into student death

IIT Delhi has formed a new seven-member external inquiry committee to investigate the death of 31-year-old MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, who died after falling from a building on campus on August 22. The panel will be chaired by retired Delhi High Court judge Mukta Gupta. The committee also includes Professor Pratap Sharan from AIIMS New Delhi, four student representatives, and the IIT Delhi Registrar. This follows the recusal of former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar from the initial probe panel.

The investigation aims to examine the circumstances of the incident and recommend improvements to student support systems. The committee has been tasked with submitting its report within two weeks.

In response to student protests and concerns regarding campus well-being, IIT Delhi has announced several academic and mental health measures. These include lightening first-semester credit loads, capping first-year class sizes, minimizing weekend examinations, and removing minimum CGPA requirements for B.Tech degrees. The institute also highlighted its 24/7 mental healthcare infrastructure, which includes access to counselors and psychiatrists from AIIMS and VIMHANS.

While the administration focuses on these reforms, some students have expressed concerns regarding the potential politicization of the protests by outside groups, while others continue to demand accountability and an impartial investigation into the circumstances of Kumar's death.