IIT-Kanpur PhD scholar ends life by hanging in hostel room
Kanpur (UP), Feb 10 (PTI): A 24-year-old PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology here ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling of his hostel room on Monday, police said.
The incident came to light in the evening when calls made to Ankit Yadav (24), a Noida resident pursuing a PhD in chemistry, by his friends went unanswered.
Sensing trouble, Yadav's hostel mates informed the IIT-Kanpur authorities, who in turn alerted the police and rushed to the room, said Additional DCP (west) Vijendra Dwivedi.
"We received information about the suicide around 5 pm after which we along with local police arrived there. By the time police reached there, the IIT-Kanpur authorities had already taken out the body after breaking open the door and shot a video of it as evidence," the police officer told PTI.
A suicide note was found in the room in which Yadav stated that he took the extreme step of his own will and blamed nobody for it.
The police said a forensic team was called to collect evidence.
The exact reasons behind the suicide will only be revealed after a preliminary probe, Dwivedi told PTI, adding the body has been sent for post-mortem and the family members have also arrived at the institute.
In a statement, the institute said, "IIT-K mourns the tragic and untimely demise of Ankit Yadav, a PhD scholar in the Department of Chemistry, here today. Yadav was a promising research scholar who joined the institute in July 2024, with an UGC Fellowship."
The reason for the drastic step is uncertain at this stage, however, IIT-K is actively cooperating with the police and forensic team in the ongoing investigation, it said, adding the institute is committed to taking all necessary steps to prevent such unfortunate incidents.
On October 10 last year, 28-year-old PhD student Pragati Kharya ended her life by hanging herself from the ceiling hook inside her hostel room. On January 18, 29-year-old PhD student Priyanka Jaiswal who was pursuing a PhD in Chemical engineering allegedly committed suicide inside her hostel room.
On January 11, 2024, an MTech second-year student Vikas Kumar Meena (31) allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his IIT-Kanpur hostel room, reportedly after he was "temporarily" barred from continuing with his course. On December 19, 2023, postdoctoral researcher Pallavi Chilka (34) hanged herself from the ceiling fan of her hostel room.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
