A significant number of students at the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, took to the campus in protest, calling for the resignation of the institute’s director following the tragic death of a second-year mechanical engineering student, Arpan Ghosh. Ghosh was discovered hanging in his hostel room on Sunday afternoon, sparking outrage among his peers.
In response to the incident, NIT Durgapur’s director, Arvind Choubey, confirmed that it was a case of suicide and stated that the police are currently investigating the matter. However, the students’ frustration with the institution’s alleged academic pressure and neglect led to a chaotic scene on campus, with a large gathering of students chanting slogans against the administration.
According to the protesting students, they have been subjected to excessive academic demands, including frequent exams with no breaks, resulting in immense stress. They argue that Ghosh’s suicide is a direct consequence of this academic burden and highlight concerns about inadequate medical facilities on campus, notably the absence of a sufficient ambulance service.
One second-year student voiced their grievances, stating, “Our friend committed suicide. He was pressurized because of the exams. In one day they are scheduling two papers that too without a study gap. He had three backlogs.” The students further criticized the response to the emergency, claiming that when they requested an ambulance, there was only one available and that they had to transport Ghosh’s body themselves.
As the protests intensified, students not only sought justice for Ghosh but also directly confronted Director Arvind Choubey, accusing the administration of negligence. The situation escalated further as tensions boiled over into physical altercations between students and college authorities.