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A lot has been said in the last one week about Sahil Wakode’s death by suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. As alumni of the institute, who have spent years in the campus over the last decade, our first thought upon hearing the news, was: “This could have been us.”

Since we were lucky enough to survive, despite the highly stressful and competitive environment of the campus, this article is our attempt to contribute to the discussion on making higher education institutes safe spaces for students, particularly those from marginalised sections of the society. 

Sahil’s death, unfortunately, is not the first death that IIT Bombay has seen this year. Two other students – Naman Agarwal and Sohil Sangwan – died by suicide in February and July, respectively. The list goes on, 171 students died by suicide across IITs over the last 20 years; 70% of them in the last ten years.

This is an alarming trend, one that requires the alumni, broader public and the civil society to acknowledge and find ways to save the young and brilliant minds of this country. If we keep turning a blind eye, we are committing a great disservice to students and hindering the development of our country.

The problem begins even before students enter IITs. IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), viewed as India’s most ‘prestigious’ and toughest examination, has always been deeply intertwined with a large private coaching industry. Regular school education is not considered enough for this examination, compelling students to attend specialised coaching classes.

This story is even more complex for students belonging to marginalised sections of the society, including individuals at an economic, social or gendered disadvantage. The aspirational middle classes too end up taking huge loans to prepare their kids for the competitive exam, hoping future employment and fat pay-checks........

© The Wire