'Dire need for corrective measures': CIC flags 'persistent crisis' of suicides in IIT campuses, suggests high-level panels

New Delhi: Observing a "persistent crisis" of suicides across IIT campuses, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has recommended the constitution of high-level committees at the institutes to address factors contributing to such deaths, underlining the "dire need" for corrective measures.

The recommendation of the apex transparency watchdog came while hearing a batch of appeals after the IITs refused to disclose details of suicide case victims at IIT Madras, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Goa and IIT Kanpur.

The Commission upheld that the information amounted to personal data of third parties and could not be disclosed, but said that institutions must strengthen transparency regarding preventive mechanisms and mental health initiatives.

Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi said there is a "persistent crisis" of multiple suicides annually across IIT campuses, with a "high concentration" at institutions such as IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur, and there was a "dire need" for universities to set up panels to address factors leading to such incidents, if not already constituted.

The Commission also asked IITs to proactively disclose details related to the constitution and functioning of such committees on their official websites under the RTI Act.

The order assumes significance against the backdrop of the recently published National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, which showed that while overall suicides in India marginally declined in 2024, student suicides continued to rise.

According to the NCRB's "Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2024" report, student suicides increased from 13,892 in 2023 to 14,488 in 2024 – a rise of nearly 4.3 per cent. Students accounted for 8.5 per cent of all suicide victims in 2024, up from 8.1 per cent the previous year. The data translates to nearly 40 student suicides every day, or almost one every 36 minutes.

The CIC order came on appeals filed by IIT alumnus Dheeraj Kumar Singh, who sought details such as age, gender, caste or category, academic programme, native state and location of death of students, scholars and research staff who died by suicide in IITs since 2005.

During the hearing, Singh told the Commission that he was running an NGO for the rehabilitation and mental counselling of students and wanted the information to analyse the root causes behind suicides and strengthen counselling efforts.

The IITs, however, denied disclosure of personal details such as names, age and caste, citing privacy exemptions under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.

The Commission upheld their stand, saying the information amounted to personal data of third parties and could not be disclosed.

"It is relevant to mention here that with the introduction of Section 44 (3) of the Digital Protection and Data Privacy Act, 2023 which came into force w.e.f November 14, 2025, which establishes that Public Authority no longer requires to justify withholding personal data by weighing public interest against privacy," the order said.

Activist Anjali Bhardwaj told PTI that the case demonstrated how the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act "severely curtails people's right to information, even when that data is vital to public interest".

"Demographic details, particularly caste data, are essential to identifying whether suicides are disproportionately prevalent among specific marginalised communities. Withholding this information directly stifles crucial public debate on appropriate measures necessary to mitigate this crisis," she claimed.

At the same time, the CIC said institutions must strengthen transparency regarding preventive mechanisms and mental health initiatives to reduce the need for repeated RTI applications.

Transparency activist Amrita Johri termed the CIC's recommendation for constituting high-level committees and proactively disclosing related information under Section 4 of the RTI Act a "positive step".

"Details about the existence of such committees will be most useful as it will enable students, teachers and parents to reach out for help or with suggestions on steps that can be taken to address the crisis. Transparency will facilitate an open and honest engagement to prevent student suicides," she said.

"Each suicide is a personal tragedy that prematurely takes the life of an individual and has a continuing ripple effect, affecting the lives of families, friends and communities," the NCRB report noted.