PhD Scholar Found Dead at IIT Kharagpur

Rapid Summary:

• A 27-year-old PhD scholar, Harshkumar Pandey, was found dead in IIT Kharagpur on September 20, 2025.
• PandeyS body was discovered in the B.R. Ambedkar Hall after his father failed to contact him and alerted the institute’s security.
• His body was sent to B.C.Roy Hospital at IIT Kharagpur, where he was declared dead by doctors.
• This marks the sixth unnatural death at IIT Kharagpur in 2025; five are suspected suicides and one occurred from choking on medication.
• The institute has begun filing an FIR and police investigations have started; officials extended their cooperation with authorities while expressing grief over the tragedy.
• Previous cases of student deaths include incidents reported this year involving young undergraduate students – raising concerns about mental health challenges within academic institutions.
• In response to rising deaths, IIT Kharagpur initiated measures such as a mental health support system, a committee for student welfare comprising psychologists and counsellors, and an AI-based app called HEART for well-being monitoring.
• The ‘campus mother’ initiative launched earlier this year has been met with mixed reactions from mental health experts who expressed concerns regarding it’s effectiveness.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The series of tragic student deaths at IIT Kharagpur underscores critical issues around mental health challenges faced by individuals navigating high-pressure academic environments in India’s top institutions. While efforts such as integrated support systems (HEART app) show some progress towards addressing these concerns systematically, interventions like ‘campus mothers’ drew criticism for being superficial or potentially outdated in approach.

Academic stress combined with personal factors demands thoughtful solutions that promote accessible professional counseling while fostering supportive campus cultures free from stigma associated with seeking help-making it imperative institutions balance reactive strategies alongside preventive focus toward healthier environments ahead both online onsite supported-check.

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