‘We Just Can’t Let Our Students Down’: Arvind Kejriwal, Ashutosh Ranka React To IIT Delhi Student’s Death

The death of IIT Delhi student Rishikesh Kumar has sparked protests on campus, with Arvind Kejriwal, Ashutosh Ranka raising questions over student welfare and institutional support

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‘We Just Can’t Let Our Students Down’: Arvind Kejriwal, Ashutosh Ranka React To IIT Delhi Student’s Death

The death of IIT Delhi MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar has triggered protests on campus and brought forth questions about how premier institutions respond when students are dealing with grief, mental health struggles and personal crises.

Kumar, a 31-year-old student pursuing an MSc in Physics, allegedly jumped to death from the sixth floor of the institute’s Lecture Hall Complex on campus Saturday morning. The IIT-Delhi administration confirmed the incident in a statement on August 22.

The incident has also prompted public reactions from Arvind Kejriwal and Ashutosh Ranka among others, with both pointing to concerns that go beyond one case and raise questions about the larger support system available to students at the country’s top institutes.

Arvind Kejriwal Reacts

Arvind Kejriwal responded to Kumar’s death, calling for an impartial and time-bound investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Rishikesh at IIT Delhi. There must be an impartial, and time-bound investigation, and all student concerns must be addressed,” Kejriwal wrote. He also pointed to the reported number of student suicides across the IIT system and said the situation required urgent attention.

“More than 65 IIT students have committed suicide in the last 5 years. The situation is alarming,” he wrote. Kejriwal argued that academic excellence cannot be measured only through rankings, grades and placements.

“We must ensure that every student has access to support, someone to listen, and a safe space to seek help when things become difficult,” he said, adding: “We need to introspect and fix this system. We just can’t let our students down.”

CJP’s Ashutosh Ranka Reacts

Cockroach Janta Party, that had recently protested against the paper leaks and cancellations in Delhi, also reacted to the incident. CJP’s Ranka wrote on X, “We are very closely following the recent events in IIT Delhi. The case of Rishikesh should ring alarm bells across the country. Rishikesh had lost his father last year and was battling mental health issues for a while. But the Institute seems to have failed to provide the requisite support, including his hostel accommodation and appropriate counseling.”

He added, “It is extremely shocking that IITD has witnessed 8 suicides in last 3 years. And overall IITs have had 65 suicides in last 5 years. There is a clear structural problem in our IITs which warrants immediate attention. @Cockroachisback stands in complete solidarity with Rishikesh’s family and the protesting students.”

Congress’ karyakarta and IIT Delhi graduate Shashant Shekhar also wrote a detailed post, recalling an experience from 2011 when he returned to campus after his maternal grandfather died in Patna.

Shekhar said he had travelled home by train, witnessed his uncle perform the cremation and missed two minor examinations at IIT Delhi. When he returned to campus and approached a professor about taking the exams again, he said he was met with a deeply insensitive response.

According to Shekhar, the professor told him: “You people from Bihar come here on reservation, can’t handle the pressure, then make excuses and kill your grandparents ten times over. Bring me his death certificate.”

Shekhar said he was 20 at the time. He also recalled that his father had already been battling cancer and that his grandmother had died of cancer several years earlier. Five months after his grandfather’s death, another death in the family followed. Looking back, Shekhar said the experience left him with a lasting memory of feeling humiliated and helpless while grieving.

He acknowledged that “IIT Delhi gave me a platform I could never have had otherwise. I will always be grateful for that. But gratitude does not require silence.”

He called for mandatory sensitivity training for faculty and administrative staff, arguing that students in difficult situations often interact first with professors, hostel officials or administrative staff rather than mental-health professionals.

Shekhar also called for significantly greater access to counselling services, saying that having only a small number of counsellors for thousands of students cannot constitute an adequate mental-health support system.

“I owe IIT Delhi a great deal. That is precisely why I am saying this,” he wrote, adding that he remembered the corridor where he had once stood after a family funeral and did not want another student to experience the same sense of helplessness.

Protests At IIT Delhi

The controversy intensified on August 24, when students boycotted classes and staged a protest at the Lecture Hall Complex. Among their demands were an independent inquiry into Kumar’s death, accountability for officials found responsible, ₹1 crore compensation for his family and reforms to student support systems.

Students also called for the resignation of senior officials, including the Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Dean (Student Welfare), Associate Dean (Hostel Management) and the Head of the Physics Department.

IIT Delhi has since constituted a five-member External Inquiry Committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Kumar’s death.

The committee includes former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar, AIIMS Delhi Psychiatry Department head Pratap Sharma, two student representatives and IIT Delhi’s Registrar, who will serve as secretary and convenor.

The panel has been asked to speak with students, faculty and administrative officials, examine existing protocols and submit its report within two weeks.

Also Read: IIT Delhi Protests: Students Demand Professor’s Resignation After MSc Student’s Death

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)

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Universities can improve mental health support for students by implementing comprehensive mental health and well-being policies, appointing mental health counsellors, establishing counselling centres, and creating supportive environments that promote emotional safety. Encouraging peer support systems and awareness campaigns through youth clubs can also help.

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About the Author

Mallika BhagatDeputy News Editor

Mallika Bhagat is a Deputy News Editor at News18, where she leads the Lifestyle and Viral desks. A seasoned journalist and content strategist, she brings a decade of high-impact experience from India’…Read More

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