IIT Bombay student death: Group of alumni write to institute, seek reforms

A group of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay IIT Bombay alumni has written to the director calling for wideranging reforms in the academic environment mental health support systems and disciplinary practices following students death casesThe alumni have also sought an independent and impartial inquiry into allegations of castebased harassment involving a student who died by suicide earlier this monthIn a letter a copy of which is with midday the group alumni said the death of a secondyear BTech student on September 18 2026 should not be viewed in isolationThey have referred to at least four instances related students deaths over the past year and expressed concern about what they described as growing alienation among studentsThe alumni have demanded an impartial inquiry into allegations of castebased harassment raised by the deceased students parentsThey also called for a fair investigation into allegations concerning a faculty member and welcomed the institutes decision to suspend the official from the position of Dean of Academic Affairs pending the inquiryCall for stronger mental health supportThe alumni have called for a comprehensive assessment of the mental health and wellbeing of IIT Bombays student community including an examination of the role of supervisors and faculty membersThey have urged the institute to strengthen its Medical Unit by appointing adequate numbers of counsellors and therapists The group has also suggested having counsellors from LGBTQ and SCSTOBC communities to make support systems more accessible to students from marginalised backgroundsThe letter singed by of 79 alumni further calls for compulsory and regular mental health sensitisation programmes for faculty membersConcerns over academic and social pressuresAccording to the alumni academic pressure along with caste class and genderbased inequalities can contribute to students feeling excluded from campus lifeThey have sought a review of the teacherstudent ratio cited in their letter as 118 and called for a broader examination of academic and teaching practices at the instituteThe group has also called for a longterm study of the teaching and learning environment to ensure that academic practices respond to students changing needsLetter raises security measuresThe alumni in their letter have also raised concerns over what they described as increased security measures on campusThe letter refers to the alleged frisking of students by private security personnel before examinations and the presence of police and other security personnel on campus The signatories said disciplinary issues should be addressed without unnecessarily stigmatising students or affecting their academic futuresThey have called for disciplinary policies involving severe penalties to be discussed and formulated democratically with meaningful student representationDemand for support to bereaved familyThe alumni have sought institutional support for the deceased students family throughout the inquiry and any subsequent legal proceedingsThey said the institute has a responsibility to ensure that the family receives the necessary assistance while the allegations are examinedThe letter also refers to the wider issue of student suicides across the Indian Institutes of Technology Citing published media reports the alumni said there were 45 reported suicides across 23 IITs in the five years up to December 2025They also referred to another report documenting 171 deaths at IITs over two decades The alumni argued that such figures warrant closer examination of the academic and social pressures faced by studentsThe allegations mentioned in the letter have not been independently establishedCall for a more inclusive campusThe alumni have urged IIT Bombay to address concerns related to caste class and genderbased exclusion and other forms of discriminationThey have also asked the administration not to criminalise students participating in protests and instead address grievances through peaceful and transparent dialogueThe letter further raises questions about videos purportedly showing CCTV footage from an examination hall The alumni have asked the institute to clarify the authenticity of the footage and take appropriate action if investigative material was leakedThe letter concludes by expressing condolences to the families and friends of students who have died by suicide and calling for concrete measures to create an academic environment that supports students intellectual and personal growthMidday attempted to reach out to IIT Bombay for a response but the institute did not respond till the time of publishing this story