By Micah Jonah, March 11, 2026
India’s prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), long regarded as symbols of academic excellence and social prestige, are facing renewed scrutiny as student suicides continue to cast a shadow over the country’s most elite engineering schools.
Data compiled from government officials and various IIT administrations shows that at least 160 students have died by suicide across the IIT system over the past two decades, with 69 of those deaths recorded in the last five years alone. The figures have raised growing concerns about mental health, academic pressure and institutional accountability within the highly competitive environment of India’s premier technology institutions.
For families, the loss is deeply personal. Sanjay Nerkar, a government employee in Nashik, Maharashtra, said his son Varad had always dreamed of studying at an IIT. In 2022, that dream came true when Varad secured admission to the master’s programme at IIT Delhi.
According to his family, the achievement was celebrated widely, but the joy was short lived. In February 2024, Varad died in what authorities described as suicide. He had reportedly told his family days earlier that he was struggling with intense academic pressure and difficulties with his academic supervisor.
Admission to the IITs is widely seen as one of the most competitive academic achievements in India. Each year more than one million students sit for the Joint Entrance Examination, the primary gateway into the institutes. Only a small fraction eventually secure admission into the limited engineering seats available.
Graduates from the IIT system have gone on to occupy influential positions globally, including leadership roles at major technology companies. The institutions have also produced dozens of billionaires and prominent public figures.
Despite these achievements, experts say the pressure to perform academically and professionally can be overwhelming for many students.
Placement anxiety has also emerged as a growing concern. In 2024, data from the institutes showed that approximately 38 percent of IIT graduates did not secure job placements immediately after graduation. Analysts say the gap between expectations and employment outcomes can add to the psychological strain faced by students.
Advocacy groups and alumni networks working with students say mental health challenges are often compounded by issues such as social discrimination, financial pressure and the intense competition that defines campus life.
In some cases, students have also raised concerns about power imbalances between research scholars and their academic supervisors, particularly at the doctoral level, where supervisors hold significant authority over thesis approvals and academic progression.
India’s Supreme Court last year directed the formation of a National Task Force on mental health in higher educational institutions to address the growing crisis. The body has been tasked with developing a framework for suicide prevention and improving support systems for students across the country’s universities and elite institutions.
Mental health experts argue that stronger institutional accountability, early identification of students under stress and proactive counselling services are essential to preventing further tragedies.
While many IIT campuses have introduced counselling units and wellness programmes, analysts say more comprehensive interventions are needed to address the structural pressures within the system.
For families who have lost loved ones, however, the reforms come too late. Their stories continue to highlight the human cost behind one of the world’s most competitive academic environments.
