There are no signs of a decline in student suicides at India's top technical and management institutes, even as the central government consistently claims to have improved campus support systems. Over the past five years, nearly 70 promising students across IITs nationwide have died by suicide.

Since the start of the new academic session in July, reports have emerged of three additional deaths at IITs and one at an IIM. Two students also died by suicide at IISc Bengaluru within a span of two weeks; these figures do not include cases from other institutes across the country.

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Government Panel Flags Concerns:

A three-member committee formed by the government in January to examine student suicides has itself acknowledged that not everything is in order on campuses. Separately, a global IIT alumni support group recorded 65 student suicides between January 2021 and December 2025, with 30 of these occurring in just 2024 and 2025 alone.

Discrimination on Campus and in Hostels:

Language, caste, and economic discrimination remain major contributing factors, both in classrooms and hostels. Students from English-medium backgrounds are often seen looking down on peers who use Hindi or regional languages, and some faculty members reportedly show similar bias. This erodes confidence among rural and underprivileged students, causing them to fall behind academically and, in some cases, spiral into severe mental distress.

Counsellor Shortage Across Institutes:

More than 70 per cent of institutions lack a full-time mental health professional, with only about 10 per cent offering this facility regularly; others call in counsellors only when needed. Many students also avoid seeking help altogether, fearing judgment from teachers, friends, and family.

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Survey Reveals Deeper Isolation:

A survey of 2.5 lakh students across technical institutes found that 34 Percent feel like outsiders on their own campus. Only 56 per cent trust their administration, while 32 per cent said their institute has no counselling facility at all. Another 26 per cent were unaware of available support services, 15 per cent reported going through serious mental distress, and 9 per cent admitted to having had suicidal thoughts at some point after facing difficulties.