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IIT student suicides: 45 deaths reported over five years
Official data reveals that 45 students committed suicide across 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 academic periods. Of these, 28 students—representing over 62 percent—belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities.
Specific institutional data shows IIT-Hyderabad recorded the highest number of suicides at seven, followed by IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Delhi, and IIT-Kanpur with six each. The figures indicate a sharp increase in recent years, with 16 suicides reported in 2023-24 compared to six in the previous year.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore has called for greater transparency and a clear action plan from the central government to ensure a safe, discrimination-free environment for marginalized students. Concerns have also been raised regarding academic pressure, inadequate faculty-to-student ratios, and the need for improved mental health counseling and grievance redressal mechanisms within the institutes.
Entities
B Manickam Tagore · IIT Bombay · IIT Delhi · IIT Hyderabad · Indian Institutes of Technology
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] There were 45 student suicides across 23 IITs between 2020-21 and 2024-25. www.deccanchronicle.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] 28 of the 45 suicides involved students from SC, ST, or OBC communities. www.dtnext.in · www.deccanchronicle.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Suicides in IITs rose to 16 in the 2023-24 academic year, up from six the previous year. www.deccanchronicle.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president called for greater transparency and an action plan regarding student safety. www.dtnext.in
- [○ 1 SOURCE] IIT-Hyderabad reported the highest number of suicides over the five-year period with seven deaths. www.deccanchronicle.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The student-to-teacher ratio in IITs is failing to meet the recommended 1:10 target due to rising enrollment. navbharatlive.com