The rising number of student suicides at IIT Kanpur has sparked serious concerns, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor calling for immediate action to address the mental health crisis among research scholars. Reacting to the tragic deaths, he stated, “This is a serious matter. We cannot build a future for aspirational young Indians if we cannot create the conditions that allow them to function effectively.”
Tharoor linked the worsening stress levels among youth to alarming consequences, saying, “The worsening stress levels and resulting mental health issues afflicting the young need our targeted attention — before they erupt into mass murder (as in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday) or in student suicides (like this below).”
The Congress MP's comments came after the All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) wrote to IIT Kanpur Director Prof Manindra Agrawal, raising concerns over a series of PhD scholar suicides at the institute. The latest tragedy involved Ankit Yadav, a PhD scholar, whose death marks the fifth suicide in 18 months at IIT Kanpur.
According to AIRSA, these repeated tragedies highlight the severe mental health challenges among research scholars due to academic pressure, financial constraints, inadequate mentorship, and lack of mental health support.
Over the past 18 months, five PhD scholars at IIT Kanpur have died by suicide, highlighting a growing mental health crisis among research scholars. The victims include Dr. Pallavi Chilka (Dec 2023), Vikas Meena (Jan 2024), Priyanka Jaiwal (Jan 2024), Pragati (Oct 2024), and Ankit Yadav (Feb 2025).
In response to these repeated tragedies, the association has called for urgent reforms, urging the IIT Kanpur administration to establish a dedicated mental health support system, implement regular counseling and mentorship programs, introduce a transparent grievance redressal mechanism, provide better financial and social support for scholars, and ensure an independent investigation into these deaths to enforce institutional accountability.
AIRSA has urged IIT Kanpur to take proactive steps to address the mental health crisis, stating that the loss of these young scholars is not just a personal tragedy but a collective failure of the academic system. It has extended its solidarity to grieving families and the student community while pressing for urgent structural changes to foster a safer, more supportive academic environment.