IIT Kanpur Considers Modifications To PG Termination Policy, Says 'Yet To Make Decision'

IIT Kanpur has issued a statement addressing reports about the termination of its PG termination policy. Following the tragic suicide of an MTech student, concerns were raised about the pressure caused by IIT-K's PG termination policy. While some newspapers claimed that the policy had been revoked, IIT Kanpur's Thursday statement clarified that the institute has not decided on the matter yet.

In response to the situation, IIT Kanpur has formed a committee tasked with assessing student feedback and adopting a necessary course of action

IIT Kanpur PG Termination: Official Statement

"This is to clarify IIT Kanpur's position regarding the termination policy for postgraduate (PG) students published in a few newspapers. The Institute wishes to clarify that a committee has been constituted to consider and evaluate feedback from students and to provide specific recommendations for consideration by various bodies, including the academic departments, the senate and the board." 

"One such suggestion received is that PG students should not be terminated due to academic deficiencies. Prof. Shalabh, Dean of Academic Affairs clarified that the Institute is yet to make any decision on this proposal. Changes in the termination policy have been implemented only for undergraduate (UG) students from 2022," IIT Kanpur's official statement reads.

Tragic Incidents at IIT Kanpur

Over the course of December 2023 to January 2024, IIT Kanpur unfortunately witnessed three cases of suicide. On January 18, a PhD student, on January 10, an MTech student in the Aerospace Engineering department, and on December 19, a postdoctoral research student in the Biological Sciences and Bioengineering department took their own lives. These incidents underscore the urgency of addressing mental health challenges within the academic community.