A 20-year-old student from BITS Pilani’s Goa campus was found dead in his hostel room on Saturday. According to the police, preliminary findings suggest it may be a case of natural death, and inquest proceedings have been initiated.

College authorities stated that the student “passed away in his sleep.” The incident was reported around 11:30 am, after which a team from the Verna police station arrived at the scene to begin an investigation.

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“The student was found lying on his bed in a sideward sleeping position. The previous night, he played table tennis on the campus and later returned to his room. The room was locked from the inside. When he did not answer the door on Saturday, the hostel authorities were informed. The cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem on Sunday,” police officer said, according to the Indian Express report. 

In an official statement, the college authorities said the third-year student was enrolled in a dual degree program, BE in Computer Science and MSc in Economics, and had maintained a CGPA close to 9. According to the statement, the student was found unresponsive on his bed when his room was opened, and the medical team later confirmed that he had passed away in his sleep.

“The BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus community is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its students today… The police were informed and they have initiated the required procedures to ascertain the cause of death. We are fully cooperating. The loss of a young life is an irreparable tragedy, and the entire campus community is deeply shocked and grieving. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends and all members of our community who are affected by this sudden loss,” the statement said.

The campus made headlines in May after three student suicides were reported since December of the previous year, prompting the institute to launch an internal inquiry. In response, several measures were introduced to ease academic pressure, including a curriculum overhaul, expanded access to professional counselling services, a 24×7 helpline, regular faculty-led grievance sessions, and weekly psychiatrist consultations.

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The administration also announced greater flexibility for students in distress, allowing them to defer exams, and the inclusion of new courses on mental and physical wellness, as well as stress management, in the updated curriculum.