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53 IIT student deaths in 5 years, over 50% from SC, ST, OBC groups: Data
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, The Congress alleged the government withheld suicide data at the Indian Institutes of Technology , claiming more than 50% of 53 students who died in the past five years belonged to marginalized communities.
Congress leader Venugopal claimed the Ministry of Education deliberately excluded suicide data from a December 2025 parliamentary response, stating the Ministry provided a 'vague response' despite an Under Secretary seeking information from IITs.
Data compiled by the Global IIT Alumni Support Group shows 173 students died by suicide or unnatural death over two decades, with around 70 per cent of these fatalities recorded in the last 10 years.
Protests followed deaths of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode on September 19 and IIT Delhi student Rishikesh Kumar on August 22, prompting demands for independent inquiries and institutional accountability.
Singh proposed a 14-point policy roadmap addressing academic stress and systemic inequities, including campus-wide mental-health surveys, dedicated wellbeing leadership at IITs, and integrating diversity considerations into mental-health planning.