UGC Forms Fact-Finding Committee to Probe Student Suicides at KIIT University

Bhubaneswar: In response to two consecutive student suicides at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to investigate the incidents and recommend measures to ensure student welfare and campus safety.

The committee will be chaired by Prof. Nageshwar Rao, former Vice Chancellor of IGNOU. Other members include Prof. Shashikala Wanjari, Vice Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEP), and Prof. HCS Rathore, former Vice Chancellor of the Central University of South Bihar. Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC, will serve as the coordinating officer for the panel.

The committee has been tasked with examining the circumstances leading to the student deaths, assessing the university’s compliance with welfare and safety protocols, and suggesting preventive measures to avoid such tragedies in the future.

The probe comes in the wake of the alleged suicides of two Nepali girl students enrolled at KIIT. On February 16, Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student, was found dead in her hostel room. Reports suggest she had been facing mental harassment from a male classmate.

More recently, on May 1, Prisha Shah, a first-year Computer Science student, was found dead in her hostel room at Campus No. 4, Room No. 111. Preliminary findings point to suicide.

Both incidents have raised serious concerns about student mental health and safety measures on campus. The UGC committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to help prevent further such incidents.