Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Education Secretary Visits NIT Kurukshetra as Rights Panel Probes Student Suicide Cluster

The state human rights body ordered detailed reports by May 12 ahead of a May 19 hearing.

Overview

  • Vineet Joshi, the higher education secretary, visited the campus Friday and said the ministry has opened an inquiry and is meeting students and teachers.
  • The Haryana Human Rights Commission launched a suo motu inquiry and ordered the NIT director, the district chief and the police chief to file detailed reports by May 12 for a May 19 hearing.
  • The commission said the pattern of deaths points to gaps in counseling, early warning and crisis response and cited students’ right to life and mental health under Article 21.
  • Four students died by suicide on February 16, March 31, April 8 and April 16, and police recorded an attempted suicide on April 18 in a hostel.
  • Officials cited pressures from academics, money and alleged online gambling, and the institute asked banks to stop issuing credit cards to students after one debt-linked case.