In a tragic incident at IIT Guwahati, a third-year B Tech student was found dead in his hostel room on Monday, sparking widespread protests on campus. This marks the second student death at the prestigious institution within a month, raising serious concerns among the student community.The deceased, a 21-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, was pursuing a degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Police were notified on Monday morning after the student was discovered unresponsive in his room. The body has since been sent for a post-mortem examination, with authorities investigating the cause of death. We are working closely with the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, stated an official spokesperson for IIT Guwahati, according to The Indian Express.Following the news, hundreds of students gathered outside the administrative building to voice their outrage, with many blaming the intense academic pressures for their peers death. One student protester expressed the collective frustration: There is a lot of rage among the students because this is the second suicide in the course of a month. We want the deans and the directors to meet us and address our concerns.IIT Guwahati students protesting over the sudden demise of a Btech 3rd year student #WeWantJustice #IIT #IITGuwahati@IndiaToday @IndianExpress @ndtv @BBCHindi @bbcnewstelugu @timesofindia @TimesAlgebraIND @htTweets pic.twitter.com/ukXRIdHZhf— Durga Prasad (@IamDurga_Prasad) September 9, 2024Protesters further alleged that the deceased student was one of several who had failed a course last winter due to insufficient attendance. This failure had reportedly prevented him from securing internships, adding to his distress. The students have demanded an urgent meeting with the institutions leadership to discuss the mental health challenges stemming from academic expectations.Exactly a month earlier, on August 9, a 23-year-old M Tech student, also from Uttar Pradesh, was found dead in her hostel room. These back-to-back incidents have heightened the sense of unease on campus, with students calling for reforms and better support systems to handle academic stress.
