“This was the third unnatural death of a student at IIT-G this year”
On the morning of September 9, 2024, a third-year BTech Computer Science Engineering student from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) was discovered deceased in his hostel room. The student, identified as Bimlesh Kumar from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, had been marked as FA (Failed due to poor attendance), despite presenting a medical reason for his absences.
The local police have sent the body for a post-mortem examination, and are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. In response to this incident, more than 1,000 students organized a protest on campus, asserting that Kumar's death was a result of being unfairly penalized by the administration. They highlighted that approximately 60 students had received FA grades, and the protesters sought to bring attention to the adverse effects of such decisions on students' well-being.
In a statement, the IIT-G administration expressed deep sorrow over the student's passing. They emphasized their commitment to student welfare, noting that they provide extensive support and resources to assist students with their challenges. The institute encouraged students to utilize available support networks, including extended counseling services and easy access to mental health resources, which are facilitated through QR codes on hostel doors linking to support contacts.
This tragic event marks the third instance of an unnatural student death at IIT-G this year. Earlier, on August 9, a 23-year-old female MTech student from Uttar Pradesh was found dead in her hostel room, and a 20-year-old first-year BTech student from Bihar passed away under similar circumstances in April.
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