Addressing Crisis: Government Forms Panel on IIT-Kanpur Student Suicides

A government-formed three-member panel aims to investigate and prevent student suicides at IIT-Kanpur. Led by educational and mental health leaders, the committee will evaluate compliance with mental wellbeing guidelines, examine institutional deficiencies, and propose improvements. The report is expected in 15 days.

In a bid to tackle the concerning issue of student suicides at IIT-Kanpur, the government announced the formation of a three-member committee on Thursday. This expert panel will assess compliance with mental health guidelines, as well as scrutinize existing campus support mechanisms.

The committee, led by Anil Sahastrabuddhe, chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum, alongside psychiatrist Jitendra Nagpal and Rina Sonowal Kouli from the Union Education Ministry, is expected to submit its findings within 15 days. The committee's efforts follow two tragic student suicides at the prestigious institution.

The directive tasks the panel with identifying gaps in current mental health frameworks and recommending improvements to enhance student support and prevent future tragedies. The panel will engage with stakeholders at IIT-Kanpur and access necessary records to fulfill its mandate.