Education ministry moves to protect students' well-being at NIT Kurukshetra, IIEST Shibpur
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a review on April 28, 2026 that focused on students' well-being at NIT Kurukshetra and IIEST Shibpur. The meeting followed a spate of tragedies: four BTech students died by suicide on campus in the past two months and one student allegedly attempted suicide .
The ministry issued a PIB press release summarising decisions and interventions. It also noted urgent action on academics, hostel management, campus life and grievance redressal across higher educational institutions (HEIs) under the ministry.
Immediate steps for students' well-being
The education ministry withdrew the administrative powers of the NIT Kurukshetra director and constituted a three-member committee to review the institute's functioning. Committee members named are Anil Sahasrabudhe, M Madan Gopal and KK Shukla.
The committee has been asked to assess academic and administrative performance, recruitment and grievance procedures, and institutional indicators such as NIRF rankings. The PIB release said the committee will examine the issues and is expected to submit its report soon.
Immediate campus orders include quick improvements to hostel facilities and the introduction of SOPs to strengthen student engagement, innovation and non-academic support.
Medium-term measures for students' well-being
A faculty upgradation programme will be held during May–June 2026 , with expected outcomes by July 2026 . The programme aims to train teachers on campus life support and creating a more positive academic environment.
Medium-term measures listed by the ministry include upgrades to sports facilities, regular competitions, teacher and academic-staff training programmes, and on-campus leadership talks with alumni to promote entrepreneurship and a problem-solving culture.
The ministry also plans to form a broader committee of directors, alumni, faculty and students to suggest a student-centric campus model and develop a framework to address academic and infrastructural issues across HEIs.
Governance and recruitment changes
The review reiterated the need to standardise faculty appointments, ensure faculty representation on boards of governors (BoGs), and appoint BoG chairpersons with adequate tenure. The committee will review recruitment norms and grievance-handling mechanisms as part of its mandate.
The PIB press release framed these steps as part of a larger drive to improve campus management, academic support and students' well-being across institutes overseen by the education ministry.
No budgetary figures, detailed SOP texts or fixed KPIs beyond the July 2026 faculty outcomes were provided in the release.