The recent death of a fourth-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, is yet again bringing the focus on concerns over students facing academic pressure at premium institutes in the country. K Kiran Chandra was a student of IIT Kharagpur in the electrical engineering department who allegedly died by suicide.

As many as 33 students at various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) alone from across the country have

died by suicide since 2018. National Institutes of Technology (NITs) reported 24 such deaths in this period, while the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMS) reported four such deaths. A couple of months ago, a second-year management student allegedly died by suicide at the Indian Institute of Management–Ranchi (IIM– Ranchi).

The demand for Indian talent is skyrocketing in the global arena. The students enrolled in IITs and IIMs are exposed to cutthroat competition and academic stress. The mental strain and subsequent predicaments on a broader scale are an alarming time bomb.

Responding to a query in Parliament, Minister of State for Education Subhas cited academic stress, family and personal reasons, and mental health issues as reasons for the deaths. Regardless of the reasons, academic institutes have a collective responsibility to check and double-check the wellbeing of students. The institutes must prioritize it as important as academics to produce meaningful impacts. Remember, without the canvases, there are no paintings!