Dean of IIT Guwahati resigns amid protests over institute's 'toxic environment' and student's death

Guwahati: Amid the ongoing massive protest of students after the unnatural death of a third-year BTech student in the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, the dean of the institute Professor Kanduru V. Krishna resigned on Wednesday.

A third-year BTech Computer Science Engineering student of IIT Guwahati was found dead inside his hostel room on Monday (September 9, 2024) morning.

More than 1,000 students staged protests on the campus accusing that 21-year-old Bimlesh Kumar was driven to death because he was marked FA (failed due to poor attendance) despite a medical reason for staying away from classes. He was from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

A third-year student who pleaded anonymity said, “Some 60 students have been given FA. We are protesting to make the administration understand how the students suffer from their decisions.”

The incident has provoked the students for protest as this was the third unnatural death of a student at IIT-G this year. A 23-year-old female MTech student, also from Uttar Pradesh, was found dead in her hostel room on August 9. A 20-year-old first-year BTech student from Bihar died similarly in April.

“We are not just demanding justice for Binmalesh but also for the countless others who have suffered due to the inhumane policies of IIT-G, The institute’s obsession with attendance and grades has taken a toll on our mental health,” said a protesting student.

The protest also drew attention to the institute’s alleged lack of adequate mental health support systems. Students expressed frustration with the IIT Guwahati authorities’ perceived indifference towards their well-being.

The IIT-G administration that banned the entry of media inside campus in the wake of ongoing protests of the students on Wednesday came out with a written statement to media where in it said, “IIT Guwahati acknowledges the deep distress caused by the recent unfortunate incident of a student death on campus and understands the concerns of the student community. The well-being of everyone remains our top priority, and we are fully committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all.”

The statement further said, “The institute is taking the issues raised by the students seriously. The Director had a one-on-one discussion with the students yesterday for several hours and has taken cognizance of their issues and concerns. As a new Director who has taken charge recently, he is committed to resolve these issues and ensure overall student wellbeing on this campus.”

The statement also added, “As for the Dean who has sent his resignation, the institute authorities have received his resignation, and we are discussing this internally. A decision will be taken soon.”