Dheeraj Singh report shows 135% rise in IIT student deaths
A new report from IIT Kanpur alumnus Dheeraj Singh, the founder of a platform supporting students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/STs), Global IIT Alumni Support Group and IIT Kanpur alumnus, highlights a worrying rise in student suicides and other unnatural deaths at IITs: at least 171 students lost their lives between 2006 and 2026, which is a 135% increase over the last two decades.
About 82% of suicides occurred on IIT campuses, especially around exam times and right after results were announced.
SC/ST students nearly double suicide rate
The report also points out that SC and ST students face nearly double the suicide rate compared to general category peers, with the gap widening after COVID-19.
These students were also younger than others when they died.
Notably, male B.Tech. and female Ph.D. students appear to be a particularly vulnerable group and together account for around 60% of suicides in the 20-year period, raising serious questions about mental health support and social pressures within IITs.