CIC Orders IITs to Set Up Special Panels to Address Rising Student Suicides

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to form high-level committees to recommend measures to prevent student suicides. The move comes amid recurring deaths on IIT campuses, which the Commission described as a 'persistent crisis.'

The directive was issued while disposing of appeals filed by Dheeraj Kumar Singh, an alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and founder of an NGO working on student mental health. Singh had sought details under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about suicides at IIT-Madras, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Goa, and IIT-Jodhpur since 2005, including age, gender, caste, programme, and native state.

IIT-Madras reported seven suicides between 2019 and June 2025 but withheld personal details citing Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, which protects personal information. IIT-Kanpur reported 17 suicides from 2005 to 2025, with at least one each year and three in 2024, but similarly withheld details. IIT-Goa also denied disclosure, while IIT-Jodhpur said no suicides had occurred.

Singh argued that the data was crucial for analysing root causes and strengthening his NGO's counselling programmes. The IITs countered that disclosing age, caste, and identity would violate privacy, citing the Supreme Court's Puttaswamy judgment, the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

Central Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi noted that the institutes had already provided some information—number of deaths, dates, gender, native place, and place of death—while withholding names, age, and caste on privacy grounds. She deemed the replies legally sustainable.

However, the Commission expressed concern over the continuing suicides, especially at IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Kharagpur, and urged institutions to strengthen preventive mechanisms. The CIC directed IITs to constitute high-level committees where such bodies do not exist, to identify and recommend measures to mitigate suicide factors. It also asked that information about the committees be proactively disclosed.

The CIC's order balances the need for transparency in addressing a serious public health issue with respect for the privacy of deceased students and their families. The committees are expected to propose systemic changes to reduce academic and personal stress among students.