New Delhi, 13 October (H.S.):

The Union Ministry of Education has constituted a three-member committee to conduct a detailed investigation into the death of a student in the hostel of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi, Jharkhand.

According to the Ministry of Education, the committee will be headed by Prof. Rajni Abbi, Director of the University of Delhi’s South Campus. A senior psychiatrist and a senior official from the Ministry of Education have also been appointed as members of the committee.

The committee has been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and assessing compliance with the guidelines in force at the institute. As part of the inquiry, it will examine the condition of essential basic amenities available to students and evaluate the effectiveness of the institutional support systems.

The committee will also review the counselling and mentoring facilities available to students, along with the mechanisms in place to address their concerns and grievances. It will identify potential shortcomings in these arrangements and recommend appropriate measures to address them.

According to the Ministry of Education, the committee’s mandate extends beyond investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. It will also identify any systemic deficiencies in the institute’s administrative and support mechanisms. Based on its findings, the committee will recommend suitable measures to strengthen student welfare and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

During the investigation, the committee will interact with all relevant stakeholders and examine institutional records and other pertinent documents, as required.

The Ministry has stated that appropriate interim administrative arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of the institute. The interests and welfare of students will be accorded priority under these arrangements.

It may be noted that IIIT Ranchi is an institute established under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The findings and recommendations of the committee constituted by the Ministry of Education are expected to help assess the status of student facilities, support systems and grievance redressal mechanisms at the institute.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar