The Union Ministry of Education has constituted a three-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the death by suicide of a first-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi, and assess whether the institute implemented guidelines on student well-being.

The development came amid continuous protests at IIIT-Ranchi over allegations that the college administration did not provide emergency medical assistance in a timely manner to the student, who died on the night of October 10. The students have demanded the resignation of institute director Rajeev Srivastava and better emergency medical facilities on campus.

The Centre’s committee, chaired by Prof Rajni Abbi, director of the University of Delhi’s South Campus, has been given 15 days to submit its report. 

The panel also comprises Dr Jitendra Nagpal, a senior psychiatrist at Delhi’s Moolchand Hospital, and Heera Lal Poonia, deputy secretary in the ministry’s department of higher education. The ministry formed the panel through an order dated October 12.

The committee will examine the implementation of the ministry’s July 2023 framework and guidelines for emotional and mental wellbeing of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), besides reviewing the availability of basic facilities, institutional support systems, counselling and mentoring arrangements and student grievance redressal mechanisms. The July 2023 guidelines seek to promote student well-being and address mental health concerns in HEIs.

“The incident necessitates a closer examination of the implementation of these measures at the institutional level and identify any deficiencies requiring corrective action,” the ministry said in its order.

The order also said the committee will “ascertain systemic challenges and areas requiring strengthening” in the institute’s arrangements for promoting student well-being and responding to psychological distress. 

Besides, the panel will review existing student grievance redressal mechanisms and their effectiveness, and recommend interventions to “prevent the recurrence of such incidents and to promote students’ well-being.”