65 IIT students died by suicide in five years
Mumbai: The suicide of a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur reported on Tuesday has once again drawn attention to mental health concerns on India’s premier technical education campuses.
Data from the last five years shows that an average of 12 to 13 students die by suicide every year across the IITs.
According to data compiled by the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, at least 65 students died by suicide at IITs between January 2021 and December 2025. Nearly 30 such cases were reported in the last two years.
Students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes are among those who died. Authorities have often attributed the deaths to personal issues or academic pressure.
However, student unions and alumni associations argue that such explanations overlook deeper structural issues. They point to rigid evaluation systems, intense competition, social isolation and, in some cases, discrimination based on caste or language as contributing factors.
Faculty members, speaking privately, have acknowledged that early warning signs are frequently missed and that intervention often comes too late.
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, around 13,000 students across the country died by suicide in 2023, an average of 36 deaths every day.
IIT Kanpur alone accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the total student suicides reported across IIT campuses. The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the issue and constituted a task force to recommend measures to prevent student suicides and address mental health concerns.
Dheeraj Singh, founder of the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, said there is a need to fix accountability at the highest levels. He said institutional leadership must be held directly responsible in cases of student suicides to ensure meaningful reform.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Dr. Thumbay Moideen featured in Entrepreneur Middle East 100 NRI’s of the year
Dubai: Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder of Thumbay Group has been featured in this year's “The 100 NRIs by Entrepreneur Middle East.”
The annual feature recognises 100 prominent Non-Resident Indian entrepreneurs from diverse fields. Other notable names on the list include Zakariya Jokatte, Ashish Koshy, Deepak Babani, Pankaj Kundr, Faizal E. Kottikollon, Dr. Vivek Oberoi, and Prashant Goenka.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen, son of the late community leader B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen, is a prominent alumnus of St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru. He has earned widespread recognition in the UAE and beyond for his contributions to higher education and healthcare. He is also a recipient of the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award 2025.
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In 1997, Dr. Moideen founded the Thumbay Group, a diversified international conglomerate that has expanded into health education, healthcare services, and medical research. In 1998, he became the first Indian invited by the rulers of Ajman to establish a medical college in the UAE, which has now grown into a university with its own network of hospitals, clinics, medical centers, and pharmacies across the country.
Dr. Moideen’s achievements have been recognised in respected publications, including Forbes Middle East and Arabian Business. He has also received an Honorary Fellowship from the International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) and an honorary doctorate from Amity University.
Today, Thumbay Group institutions cater to students and healthcare professionals from over 100 nationalities, contributing to workforce development and research-driven healthcare practices. Dr. Moideen is widely regarded as one of the most influential Non-Resident Indians in the Gulf, a respected voice from the Beary community, and a leading Muslim entrepreneur and educationist.
Over the past decades, he has steered Thumbay Group’s expansion into a multi-sector organisation focusing on academic medicine, research-led healthcare, and global education. His initiatives have created opportunities for thousands of healthcare professionals and students while strengthening healthcare delivery systems and academic collaboration across regions.
