New Delhi: A day after students staged a protest over the death of an IIT Delhi scholar, the institute has initiated the process of constituting an external inquiry committee to look into the matter. The committee will consist of five members, sources said.The formation of a committee was among the key demands raised by the protesting students. While students had boycotted all classes Monday, protests continued Tuesday as well, with a march being taken out to reiterate their demands.IIT Delhi said the inquiry committee would be given the mandate to examine the matter comprehensively. It has also proposed appointing an external ombudsperson to address student grievances that remain unresolved through existing internal mechanisms.On the institute’s decision to constitute an external inquiry committee, students said their demand was for an independent and transparent investigation that also involved elected student representatives.Students also reiterated their demand for the resignation of the associate dean of student welfare and other officials, alleging administrative lapses in the handling of the student’s case. “The administration has consistently tried to downplay the institute’s responsibility and frame this as an isolated incident,” a student said, adding that the director had rejected their demand for resignations. They claimed that the administration had increased surveillance and security measures.IIT Delhi said it was extending financial support to the student’s family through contributions from faculty members, students and staff. However, students said they were seeking financial assistance for the family directly from the institute.According to the institute, the student, who had joined IIT Delhi in July 2025 and lived in a campus hostel, had received medical and counselling support over the past several months. It said that a few days after Holi earlier this year, concerns raised by fellow students prompted the institute to take him by ambulance to the campus hospital, where he was assessed and supported by a psychiatrist. His family subsequently informed the institute that they wanted to take him to a specialised hospital, where, according to IIT Delhi, he underwent around a month of inpatient treatment before being discharged.The institute said the student later sought withdrawal from the Jan-May 2026 semester, which was approved. In July, his health records were reviewed and, according to IIT Delhi, medical advice was given that he should continue to remain under parental supervision. IIT said he was also provided counselling and treatment support by its counsellor and doctor in July and Aug. His request to withdraw from the July-Nov semester was also approved, it said.
