Rising Campus Distress: Ministry Reviews NIT Kurukshetra After Spate of Suicides

Amid growing concern over a spate of student suicides, a senior official from the Union Ministry of Education on Friday visited the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, to assess the situation and initiate corrective measures.

Vineet Joshi , Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, held detailed discussions with institute authorities, faculty members, students, and district administration officials during his visit. The intervention comes after four students died by suicide in the past two months , alongside a reported case of a first-year B.Tech student allegedly attempting suicide , raising serious questions about student well-being on campus.

Speaking to the media, Joshi said the ministry has initiated an inquiry and is engaging directly with stakeholders to understand the underlying issues. “We are here to gather first-hand information. Discussions are being held with students and teachers, and hostel facilities will also be inspected. Both groups have their own concerns, and we are trying to understand them comprehensively,” he said.

The visit included senior officials such as Tejaswini Anantkumar , Chairperson of the Board of Governors at NIT Kurukshetra, along with Joint Secretaries Saumya Gupta and Govind Jaiswal , and Deputy Secretary Heera Lal from the Ministry of Education.

Joshi noted that multiple suggestions have emerged during interactions with students, faculty, and local authorities, which will be examined as part of the review process. He also said that local police have gathered preliminary inputs in connection with the suicide cases.

The situation has also drawn the attention of the Haryana Human Rights Commission, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the incidents based on a recent media report. The commission has launched a separate inquiry , emphasising that educational institutions bear responsibility not only for academic outcomes but also for the mental and physical well-being of students .

The developments highlight increasing scrutiny on campus environments and the urgent need for robust mental health support systems in higher educational institutions.