As part of a vigil night, the students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi participated in a peaceful condolence meeting at the Wind Tunnel of the institute on November 3 at 9.30 pm. To recall, Panav Jain a 23-year-old BTech student died by suicide on October 31 at his residence in Shahdara Delhi. This is the third such suicide in the institute in four months.
Speaking to EdexLive, a student, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We were sitting peacefully during the night vigil organised to note that there have been recurring suicides at the institute. However, the security obstructed us stating we did not take permission.” It was informed that more than 70 students participated in the vigil meeting last night where pictures of the deceased students Panav Jain, Anil Kumar and Ayush Ashna were displayed. Candles were lit as a mark of respect for them.
Reacting to the security’s obstruction, the student told EdexLive, “We can’t even distribute posters without prior permission from the institute. In fact, during a discussion with Panav’s friend, he shared that permission needs to be taken from at least five officials before we organise anything.” This was experienced by the students when they were not allowed to distribute posters of the open house being held with the director after the death of Anil Kumar, as they did not have permission to do so. Anil Kumar, a final-year BTech student had died by suicide on September 1.
Further, a member of Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a study body of IIT Delhi said, “It is very embarrassing to be stopped by the guards for sitting on a peaceful condolences meeting.”
The student disclosed that for any event, meeting or even to distribute a poster, they have to seek permission from the Dean of Student Welfare, administrative staff and security guards. Stressing on this, the student said, “We don’t have any right to our space at the institute.”
Students’ rights at stake?
“A good Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) score is mandatory to participate in any extracurricular activities,” claimed the student. Although everyone has their issues, the BTech students at the institute have no time for themselves which reflects the stress they undergo, he claims.
Additionally, raising concerns about the BTech students, the student alleged, “If a student scores low marks, the professors don’t care about them and accommodation is not provided to those who receive an extension when it comes to the completion of their degree courses.”
With all this, the student shared that their hope in the management is dwindling.