New Delhi: Over two weeks after a final year student of M. Tech at IIT Delhi died by suicide, his parents have written to the college administration demanding an inquiry into their son's death.

Twenty-three year old Varad Nerkar was found dead in his college hostel on February 15.

"Our son was studying in his second year of M.Tech in Polymer Science at IIT Delhi. Our son committed suicide due to mental stress given by his college guide (project head) Harpal Singh, second guide Josemon Jacob, and PhD student Md. Anees. Those responsible for our son's death should be investigated, and strict action should be taken," his parents' statement read.

Varad had communicated with his parents twice on the morning of February 15 – first noting that he would be done with his project soon and then to express concern about his research project.

"On my advice, Varad contacted Professor Singh. However, his response was unexpectedly harsh. After that Varad came back to the hostel room and he committed suicide. Had it not been for Mr. Harpal's hurtful remarks, our brilliant son would not have taken such a step," they alleged in the letter.

Varad hailed from Maharashtra's Nashik district. He had been selected for a job and was going to join the company in June. 

A student, currently enrolled at IIT Delhi, told The Wire that “the heavy workload in laboratories, pressure to maintain high grades, and insufficient mental health support, particularly for marginalised communities, are significant contributors to the problem among IIT students.

The student added that those perceived as belonging to specific communities, such as SC/ST or OBC, often experience caste discrimination from both fellow students and professors.

In July last year, Ayush Ashna, a final-year student of B. Tech had died by suicide in IIT Delhi. Even at that time, student organisations had called his death a "murder" and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.

Dheeraj Singh, an IIT alumnus and suicide prevention expert, said, "IIT Delhi has unfortunately witnessed four suicides in the recent past. To address accountability in these tragic incidents and prevent future losses, there is a pressing need for an impartial investigation conducted by external experts, not solely by in-house professors of IIT. Regrettably, the seriousness and intent necessary to address these issues seem lacking at IIT Delhi." 

According to data from the Union education ministry, 33 students across IITs have died by suicide in the last five years (2018-2023). This includes B.Tech, M.Tech and Ph.D. students. The highest number of suicides took place at IIT Madras where four B. Tech students and three PhD students died. 

IIT BHU, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Hyderabad each saw four student suicides. Of these 16 students, eight were B.Tech students, four M.Tech students and four were pursuing PhD.

Two students died at IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Guwahati each as well. 

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital.

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