Following the death of a first-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi, the Education Ministry has set up a three-member committee to investigate alleged lapses in emergency medical facilities, hostel infrastructure and student support services.
The panel, headed by University of Delhi South Campus Director Professor Rajni Abbi, will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, assess the functioning of basic campus facilities and counselling services, and identify systemic gaps. A senior psychiatrist and a senior Education Ministry official will be its other members.
The intervention comes after 20-year-old Aditya Kumar, a first-year student from Bihar’s Purnia district, was found dead in his hostel room at the institute’s Khelgaon campus on the night of 10 October.
According to police, hostel residents alerted the administration after finding his room locked from inside. Police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
The incident triggered protests by students, who alleged that inadequate emergency arrangements delayed medical assistance. The protesters claimed that the hostel lift was not functioning and that the campus ambulance lacked essential medical equipment, including oxygen support.
Reports also cited allegations that an ambulance driver was unavailable. These claims have not been independently established.