Yet another IITian falls to ‘academic pressure’

KANPUR: Suicide by V Nehru, a second year BTech student of IIT-Kanpur on Thursday at a deserted place in Abdulapurmet near Hayathnagar in Andhra Pradesh has left the students shocked. Nehru had consumed poison to end his life. 

The friends of V Nehru were sad when they learnt that their friend had ended his life. Those who knew Nehru well said that he was abrilliant boy with a sharp brain. He was an introvert and never used to open up much with others. 

The fellow students of V Nehru were unaware of the fact that he was reeling under depression. In May, when Nehru faced termination, his friends had asked him to make a mercy appeal so that he could be reinstated but he refused to do so. As a result, Nehru had to leave the IIT-Kanpur campus and he went back to his native place in Andhra Pradesh. But Nehru preferred keeping this fact hidden from his parents, thinking that this might hurt them. 

"We are shocked over the death of Nehru as it could never be thought that he would take such an extreme step and end his life. 

He should have applied for mercy appeal and got himself reinstated. Termination from academic course does not mean that there is no chance to spring back. It's sad that our friend is no more," said a friend of V Nehru, who is presently in the second year of BTech in electronics. 

Some of Nehru's friends had tears in their eyes, especially those who belonged to Andhra Pradesh and close to him."Here in IIT-Kanpur, we have a group of students hailing from Andhra Pradesh. This group consist of students from different courses, ranging from I year to final year. Nehru was also a part of the group. It's unbelievable that he is no more and that he was reeling under depression," said a senior of V Nehru, wishing not to be named. 

Even the IIT-Kanpur staffers were shocked to learn that the boy had committed suicide. 

"After reading today's newspaper we learnt V Nehru has committed suicide. Though I don't know who he was but any student who is a part of IIT system dies in this way, it is undoubtedly very painful," said a staffer. 

The authorities of IIT-K said that in case of facing termination, the students should apply for mercy appeal instead of undergoing depression. 

AK Ghosh, dean student affairs, said that like any other student who is terminated, V Nehru also had a chance to make mercy appeal for his reinstatement but he did not try. 

An IIT student is supposed to get a minimum of 4.5 on a 10-point scale to be considered for promotion to the next level (second year in Nehru's case). 

Several students of IIT-Kanpur have committed suicide in past while they were reeling under depression. It was due to academic pressure that the students took such an extreme step. Incidents of suicide one after the other had shaken the IIT-Kanpur administration. Parents of the student who commit suicide are the worst sufferers. So far, ten IIT-Kanpur students have ended their lives.The IIT-Kanpur administration claims to have a team of counsellors and psychiatrists to tackle the students reeling under depression. Counselling sessions are held from time to time to. Students are asked to come and share their problems. The students come under depression only when they are not able to perform well in academics, further leading to taking decisions like committing suicide. 

The institute authorities claimed that academic termination of a student from a course is a routine procedure conducted every semester. 

This procedure is being followed for last several years, giving terminated student a chance to get reinstated by applying for mercy appeal. The terminated student has to justify before the academic senate why he/she could not perform well and if the answer is satisfactory, he/she gets reinstated.




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