The students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) staged a protest at Gajendra Circle on Tuesday, April 11 seeking justice for the suicide of PhD scholar Sachin Kumar Jain. The protestors demanded the suspension/resignation of Sachin’s PhD guide and the Dean of Students (DOST).
Late last night, the Director of IIT Madras Prof V Kamakoti addressed the protestors and gave them an assurance that the issues will be looked into. The students have informed that they will gather again on Wednesday, April 12, claiming that the director will address them again, and will continue the protest if no action is taken by the authorities.
Aftermath of suicide
Following the suicide, Sachin’s brother, Bhawesh Jain, had written a letter to the Director of IIT Madras on Wednesday, April 5, alleging that Sachin's PhD guide was the reason why Sachin resorted to the extreme step. Following this, students believe that the presence of his guide on campus during the internal investigation might hinder the process.
“This is the moral duty of Sachin’s PhD guide (Dr Ashish Kumar Sen), to resign or step down at least while the investigation is going on. If he does not, it should be the institution’s responsibility to at least suspend him on a temporary basis,” a third-year PhD scholar from IITM shared, on the condition of anonymity.
The protestors also highlighted that the internal committee carrying out the enquiry into the matter has Prof Nilesh Jayantilal Vasa, Dean of Students, IITM, on it. The students are concerned that the presence of high-position authorities from the institution will lead to a biased investigation.
“They will always try to influence the investigation and present the institution in a good light. That is why there needs to be an external investigation into the matter. There should be an external presence, preferably someone from the Tamil Nadu government, in the current investigation committee,” another PhD scholar from IIT Madras, who wished to stay anonymous, shared.
No mental health facilities
There have been four suicides at IIT Madras in the last few months leading to an increasing concern about mental health issues among IIT students. However, the students complained that the authorities at IITM are not bothered about the students’ mental health even after multiple such incidents.
“There are about 10,000 students at IITM and only four counsellors. Many people say that we should reach out for help before taking a such step but when we do, there is no help available. Sometimes they give you an appointment with the counsellor two months later. How can a person who is struggling mentally wait for two months?” asked a student from IITM while speaking to EdexLive.
Sachin Kumar Jain, a 31-year-old student from West Bengal pursuing PhD in Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras died by suicide on March 31. Though allegations against Sachin’s PhD guide broke out following the suicide, when EdexLive reached out to the guide Dr Sen, he maintained that Sachin was a brilliant scholar and his death was a “loss to the scientific community”.
