CIC Calls for Committees to Address IIT Suicides

Observing a ''persistent crisis'' of suicides across IIT campuses, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has recommended the constitution of high-level committees at the institutes to address factors contributing to such deaths, underlining the ''dire need'' for corrective measures.

The recommendation of the apex transparency watchdog came while hearing a batch of appeals after the IITs refused to disclose details of suicide case victims at IIT Madras, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Goa and IIT Kanpur.

Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi said there is a ''persistent crisis'' of multiple suicides annually across IIT campuses, with a ''high concentration'' at institutions such as IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur, and there was a ''dire need'' for universities to set up panels to address factors leading to such incidents, if not already constituted.

The Commission also asked IITs to proactively disclose details related to the constitution and functioning of such committees on their official websites under the RTI Act.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report showed that student suicides increased from 13,892 in 2023 to 14,488 in 2024 - a rise of nearly 4.3 per cent. Students accounted for 8.5 per cent of all suicide victims in 2024, up from 8.1 per cent the previous year.

(With inputs from agencies.)