JOIN USAIIMS student hangs himself in hostel room
A 22-year-old MBBS student of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room, triggering allegations on the campus that he was a victim of a faulty marking system and caste-discrimination.
Anil Kumar Meena, who hailed from Rajasthan’s Baran district, was still a first-year student even though this was his second year at AIIMS.
He stayed at hostel number 6 on AIIMS premises. His friends last spoke to him on Friday night.
“He did not open the room door on Saturday at all. Even the newspaper was lying outside. On Sunday morning, we asked the security guard to check the room after knocking on his door several times. Through a small window, the guard peeped in and found him hanging,” said a friend.
The door of the room was broken down and Anil was rushed to AIIMS, where doctors declared him brought dead. No suicide note was found in the hostel room, police said.
The suicide led to protests by several students outside the AIIMS director's house.
“It is all because of the arbritrary system at AIIMS. They announced a change in the marking system last year after the exams were over. Also, earlier students could repeat exams without wasting an academic year. This was also changed recently,” said an angry student. Anil thus remained a first-year student, he added.
Discrimination
Students allege that caste-based discrimination has led to such suicides on the campus in recent years. Anil belonged to the reserved category.
“It cannot be called mere coincidence that all three students who could not pass first year exams belonged to the reserved category,” said a hostel resident.
He said teachers and other authorities comment on students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
“Anil went to the director of the institute with his problems to seek help. The director did not even meet him. The dean assured him of support, but never acted upon his promises,” said the resident.
Two years ago, on the very same date, March 3, a Dalit student Balmukund Bharti committed suicide.
Report submitted
In 2006, a three-member committee was formed under Prof S K Thorat, former chairperson of the University Grants Commission, to “enquire into the allegation of differential treatment of SC/ST students in AIIMS”.
The report, submitted in 2007, brought out rampant discrimination that students as well as teachers from reserved category face in AIIMS.
But students said authorities had not taken any action based on the Thorat committee
report.
“This is the second case in two years. There is definitely some loophole in the administration, including the fact that no counselling is being provided to students who are merely 17 years old when they join the institute,” said Dr Sudipto Ranjan Singh, president of the resident doctors association at AIIMS.
Anil was to appear for the anatomy paper on Monday. All MBBS exams in AIIMS have now been postponed by a day.
The police are investigating the incident. They have also informed the student's father, Suraj Mal Meena.
“The body will be handed over to his family after a post-mortem,” said Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (south).