Centre orders probe into student suicide at IIIT Ranchi

NEW DELHI: Amid allegations of delayed medical assistance following the death of a first-year student at IIIT Ranchi, the education ministry Tuesday constituted a three-member committee to examine the circ-umstances surrounding the incident and possible gaps in the institute's student support and emergency response systems. The decision comes amid protests by students, who have accused the administration of failing to provide timely medical assistance and demanded the resignation of institute director Rajiv Srivastava. The student, Aditya Kumar (20), was found hanging in his hostel room Saturday.

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The committee, headed by Delhi University South Campus director Rajni Abbi, will include a senior psychiatrist and a senior education ministry official. The panel will examine whether the institute has adequately implemented guidelines concerning institutional support, counselling, mentoring and student grievance redress mechanisms. It will also interact with stakeholders, examine institutional records and identify systemic gaps, besides recommending measures to strengthen student welfare and prevent similar incidents. The ministry said it was also undertaking interim administrative arrangements to ensure smooth functioning of the institute. The ministry has not specified a deadline for the committee to submit its findings. The allegations of negligence remain under examination. IIIT Ranchi operates under a public-private partnership model.

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