IIT-Guwahati Dean Krishna resigns after student’s death

K.V. Krishna. File
| Photo Credit: Photo: https://www.iitg.ac.in/kvk

GUWAHATI:

K.V. Krishna, the Dean of Academic Affairs of the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G), has resigned following protests over the unnatural death of a student from Uttar Pradesh on September 9.

The IIT-G authorities on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) confirmed the resignation of Prof. Krishna. “… we are discussing this internally. A decision will be taken soon,” they said.

Some 3,000 students of IIT-G staged protests to “claim the night” after 21-year-old Bimlesh Kumar, a third-year B. Tech Computer Science Engineering student was found dead in his hostel room on September 9 morning. The students claimed he was among 60 students who were marked “failed due to poor attendance” despite a “strong medical reason” to be away from classes.

He was the third IIT-G student to have died by suicide this year since April. The local police sent his body for post-mortem to ascertain how he died.

Apart from asking Mr. Krishna to quit as the Dean of Academic Affairs, the students demanded the resignation of an assistant professor accused of misusing his authority and misbehaving with the students.

Acknowledging the “deep distress caused by the recent unfortunate” death of a student on the campus, the IIT-G authorities said they understand the concerns of the students.

“The well-being of everyone remains our top priority, and we are fully committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all. The institute is taking the issues raised by the students seriously,” the IIT-G said in its statement, adding that the Director had a one-on-one discussion with the students on Tuesday (September 10, 2024) for several hours to take cognisance of their issues and concerns.

The institute outlined several measures it would undertake to address the students’ concerns. These include expanding the “well-being services” involving specialised counsellors for crisis intervention and long-term assistance, establishing peer support networks, and reviewing the safety protocols.

“We remain committed to open dialogue and encourage everyone to share their thoughts and concerns,” the statement said.