NIT Kurukshetra Student Suicide Attempt: What's Behind The Crisis?

Following a series of tragic deaths, an NIT Kurukshetra student's suicide attempt has raised serious concerns about student mental health and academic pressures on campus.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Liza Summer/Pexels.com

Key Points

A BTech student at NIT Kurukshetra attempted suicide, prompting concerns about student well-being.
This incident follows a series of student suicides at NIT Kurukshetra in recent months.
The student cited academic stress as a contributing factor, highlighting the pressures faced by students.
NIT Kurukshetra has ordered students to vacate hostels and replaced key hostel officials in response to the incidents.
Police are investigating the recent student death and the circumstances surrounding the suicide attempt.

A first-year BTech student of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, allegedly attempted to commit suicide, police said on Saturday.

The attempt comes two days after another student died by suicide on the same campus. The institute has seen the deaths of four students by suicide in four months.

According to the police, the computer science student went to the fifth floor of her hostel at about 11.30 pm and tried to jump, but was stopped by fellow hostellers.

Before the attempt, the Maharashtra native posted a message in a WhatsApp group, stating that her life had no purpose and hinted at ending it.

The woman was counselled by the NIT administration and was admitted to a local hospital. She is currently stable and under medical care, authorities said.

Rising Concerns Over Student Mental Health

Vinod Kumar, Kurukshetra University police post in-charge, said that the woman gave conflicting statements.

She told the police that she had been under stress as she got 90 per cent in class 12, but only 40 per cent in BTech, and later started changing her statements, Kumar said.

On Thursday, a 19-year-old BTech student, Diksha Dubey, allegedly died by suicide. Her death sparked protests on campus.

Dubey's death marked the fourth such incident on the campus in the past two months.

NIT Kurukshetra Responds to Crisis

A first-year student from Telangana in mid-February, a student from Nuh at the end of March, and a third-year student from Sirsa on April 9, allegedly killed themselves on campus.

Prof Gian Bhushan, the institute's public relations officer, said the administration has ordered all students to vacate hostels by April 19 in light of the events.

Students with upcoming viva exams will be informed in advance.

A police investigation into Diksha Dubey's case is currently underway.

Preliminary findings suggest she sent and later deleted a message to a friend shortly before her death. Her body was later found hanging in her hostel room.

A post-mortem was conducted under videography, and the body was handed over to her family. No formal complaint has been filed by the family so far.

The institute has replaced key hostel officials, including the chief warden and deputy warden of the girls' hostel.

Under Indian law, attempting suicide is a criminal offence, though the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 aims to provide care and rehabilitation for those attempting it. Police investigations will likely focus on the circumstances leading to the attempt and whether any external factors contributed to the student's distress. The rise in student suicides across India has prompted calls for better mental health support in educational institutions.

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