IIT-Guwahati student death: Dean resigns amid massive protest

Guwahati: Following a massive protest by students over the death of a 21-year-old B.Tech student, Professor Kanduru V. Krishna has resigned from his position as Academic Dean at IIT-Guwahati. The resignation came after students accused the institute's environment of being toxic and demanded Krishna's removal.

The student, who was studying Computer Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on Monday. He was from Uttar Pradesh.

In response to the protests, IIT-Guwahati accepted Krishna's resignation. Krishna, who graduated from IIT Delhi and earned his Ph.D. in 2006 after completing a Master’s in Mathematics from Andhra University, has specialised in General Algebra and Theoretical Computer Science.

Students gathered in large numbers outside the administration building, claiming that academic stress contributed to their peer’s death. A protesting student said, "Despite getting good marks in the examination, many students failed due to short attendance. In our batch, at least 200 students failed due to low attendance. This is unacceptable. One or two students might have done something wrong, but such a huge number of pupils can not be found on the wrong foot. The administration of IIT-Guwahati has created a toxic environment in the name of academic pressure."

This incident marks the third student death at IIT-Guwahati this year. On August 9, a 23-year-old M.Tech student was found dead in her dorm room, also from Uttar Pradesh. In April, a 20-year-old B.Tech student from Bihar was discovered dead in his hostel room.

The authorities at IIT-Guwahati, along with local police, have launched an investigation into the recent death. Additionally, the institute has introduced a series of mental health programs aimed at helping students manage stress and improve well-being.

Agency