Students complain of academic pressure, lack of institutional structure to handle stress

A condolence meet was held by the IIT administration on Monday evening. Apart from faculty and administration members, over 150 students attended the meeting, where many students spoke about academic pressure. As more and more concerns were raised, the administration assured that a public meeting will be held in a week or so to discuss such matters, the students said.

Solanki (18) was a first-year BTech chemical engineering student. The first semester exams at the IIT for first-year students had concluded on Saturday, a day before he jumped from the seventh floor of his hostel. Alleging that the institutional structure does make some of them feel alienated, the APPSC statement said, “It is not a hidden fact that students from the ST community face immense harassment and discrimination on the campus from students, faculties and employees. These institutional and casual ways of casteism cause mental and psychological stress. But IITs lack mechanisms to help them.” Following Solanki’s suicide, the APPSC again reiterated its demand for a dedicated mental health centre for SC and ST students in more representation from the communities in the faculty.

The police have said that before ending his life on Sunday, Solanki wrote a message on the wall, which said that nobody should be held responsible for his death. DCP Maheshwar Reddy (Zone X) said, “We have registered a case of accidental death report and the probe is still on. His parents have come to Mumbai and have taken custody of his remains… they have not alleged any foul play in the case.”

The IIT administration, meanwhile, has constituted a committee to investigate the incident. “It is unfortunate that such a loss could not be prevented despite the efforts of the institute and student mentors… A committee has been constituted to investigate the incident,” read a statement by the administration after the condolence meeting on Monday evening.

A senior official from the institute said, “There is an extensive support system for all students of IIT Bombay, irrespective of caste, starting from student mentors — who are essentially seniors guiding freshers — to even professional mental health experts, proactively taking up initiatives for awareness… There is also a dedicated SC/ST Cell helping students to navigate life inside campus.”

After the APPSC statement was viral online, the Progressive Students Forum, a student collective from Tata Institute of Social Science, held a condolence meeting on their Chembur campus. “One more Dalit Student loses life in higher education space,” read the announcement title.