IIT Madras students demand details of Suicide inquiry committee

Chinta Bar is demanding to strengthen the scope of grievance redressal mechanisms at departments to include cases of harassment, discrimination etc. and the creation of SOP

IIT Madras student body ‘Chinta Bar’ has urged the administration to share details of the inquiry committee formed to investigate suicide incidents on the campus. IIT Madras has formed an internal inquiry committee following the death of a third-year BTech student on Tuesday.

On the 14th of March 2023, the fourth case of suicide happened in IIT Madras within the last two years. A third-year BTech student of the electrical engineering department was found hanging in his hostel room. Three of these cases happened in the hostels and one happened when the student was at home.

Chinta BAR has demanded the IITM admin set up the committee and initiate the study as soon as possible and inform the student community about the steps that are expected to be taken in this regard.

The student body is demanding to strengthen the scope of grievance redressal mechanisms at departments to include cases of harassment, discrimination etc. and the creation of SOP to be followed for investigation and dissemination of information regarding the deaths happening on campus.

Reacting to the official statement issued by IIT to the media which states that an internal inquiry committee including elected student representatives has been formed to look into such incidents. The student association has stated that the director is responsible to inform the student community of the details of the committee, including; the composition of the committee, the date of forming the committee, whether the committee is common to all the incidents of suicides, whether the committee has done any preliminary enquiry on the current suicide and the one which happened one month back.

Chinta Bar in a statement says: “We urge the Director and Dean of Students to respond to the student community in this regard. We also demand the SLC to convene an urgent GSB meeting with the Director and Dean to discuss this issue.”

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