Education Ministry sets up three-member team to review cases of student suicides at IIT-Kanpur

The Ministry of Education on Thursday (January 22, 2026) set up a three-member committee to review cases of students’ suicides at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur and recommend measures to prevent such incidents and enhance mental health and mental well-being support.

The three-member committee will be headed by Anil Sahastrabuddhe, chairman, National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), psychiatrist Jitendra Nagpal, and Joint Secretary (higher education). The panel has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

Two students have ended their lives at IIT-Kanpur within the past month, prompting the government to set up the committee.

“The Ministry of Education has taken cognisance of the recent unfortunate incident of student suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. The incident has once again brought to the fore the critical importance of strengthening institutional mechanisms for safeguarding the emotional and mental wellbeing of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Ministry of Education accords the highest priority to the mental health, emotional wellbeing, and holistic development of students. In this context, the Ministry had issued the “Framework Guidelines for Emotional and Mental Wellbeing of Students in Higher Education Institutions” in July 2023, with the objective of creating an enabling, inclusive and supportive environment across HEIs in the country. In order to review the implementation of the Framework Guidelines as well as to examine recent incidents of students suicides in IIT Kanpur, the competent Authority has approved the constitution of a three-member Committee with the composition: Prof. Anil D. Sahastrabudhe, Dr. Jitendra Nagpal and Joint Secretary (Higher Education),” reads the official order. 

“The committee shall submit its report within a period of 15 days and has been directed to identify gaps, systematic challenges and areas requiring strengthening mental health,” the order adds.

The decision comes a day after the death of a PhD scholar in the hostel. 30 students have ended their lives in IITs across India in the past two years, the IIT Alumni Support Group said. Nine students (30%) of those belonged to IIT-Kanpur. It is the highest number of suicides in any of the 23 IITs across the country. Seven suicides have been reported at IIT-Kharagpur, the second highest number. IIT-Bombay, despite admitting more students than IIT-Kanpur, reported one suicide during the same period.

(Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)