IIT Delhi Orders External Inquiry After Eighth Student Death Sparks Campus Protests

IIT Delhi has ordered an external inquiry into the death of 31-year-old MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar after two days of student protests on campus.

Kumar died on 22 August 2026 after jumping from the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex. Delhi police registered an FIR for abetment of suicide against unknown persons. The FIR followed directions from the Supreme Court-led National Task Force on mental health in higher education institutions.

Students boycotted classes on 24 and 25 August. They staged a sit-in at the Lecture Hall Complex and later outside the director’s office. Protesters said eight IIT Delhi students have died by suicide in the past 30 months and described the pattern as systemic. They demanded the resignation of certain administrative officials, compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family, and suspension of classes at the site of the death.

According to student accounts, Kumar had been referred for psychiatric treatment at VIMHANS. After returning to campus he faced difficulties regaining hostel accommodation and securing academic projects. He was living off campus, which they said increased financial pressure. The administration initially described mental health concerns and continuous parental supervision as the context.

Director Rangan Banerjee announced a five-member external inquiry committee that was to report within two weeks. After student objections to one proposed member, the institute agreed to reconstitute the panel and allow students to suggest alternative names by Friday. The institute also proposed appointing an external ombudsperson for unresolved grievances and is collecting financial assistance for Kumar’s family from faculty, staff and students.

The National Task Force was established in 2025 to address rising student suicides across Indian higher education institutions. IIT Delhi’s response is being watched as a test of whether external oversight and structural changes follow the latest death.

Campus mental health services, hostel allocation rules and the handling of students returning from medical leave are among the issues the inquiry is expected to examine. Students have insisted that the focus remain on institutional processes rather than individual pathology.

No classes were held in the Lecture Hall Complex during the protest period. The institute has not suspended the academic calendar beyond that. Further meetings between student representatives and the administration are scheduled.

The case adds to a national conversation about pressure, support systems and accountability inside India’s premier technical institutes. Whether the external inquiry produces recommendations that alter policy will become clear when its report is submitted.