NEW DELHI: The three-member committee, constituted by the Education Ministry on January 22 to probe the suicides of IIT Kanpur students, is yet to complete its report despite the lapse of two months since the deadline assigned to it.

The panel has reportedly sought an extension of the deadline too. Following the incidence of two suicides within three weeks in January on the Kanpur campus, the ministry set up a panel comprising Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairperson of the National Educational Technology Forum; Dr Jitendra Nagpal, senior psychiatrist at Moolchand Hospital; and Rina Sonowal Kauli, Joint Secretary, Higher Education, in the Ministry of Education.

The panel was directed to submit its report incorporating its recommendations on measures that need to be taken to prevent student suicides in the future by February 7.

A source told this reporter, “The team has visited IIT Kanpur in person. It has held three virtual meetings too. However, it would take some time for the report to be completed as suicides of students continue to occur across institutions.”

The team has orally requested for an extension to be given to submit the report, he said. “A draft of the report is ready. However, it needs to be revised, incorporating additions and needs some more time. The team would submit the report as quickly as possible,” the source added.

The Education Ministry is yet to respond to queries in this connection from this newspaper.

The panel has also been tasked with the review of the implementation of the Ministry’s ‘Framework Guidelines for Emotional Well-Being of Students in Higher Educational Institutions’.

Data submitted in the Rajya Sabha says, 98 students died by suicide in higher educational institutions between 2018 and 2023, including 39 from IITs.

This story is reported by S Lalitha