A massive fire at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on June 3 killed 21 people and injured many more. One of the victims was Shrutika Baranwal, a student at TISS in Mumbai.
According to the officials, that along with Shrutika, 17 foreigners from Bangladesh, Liberia, Nigeria, and Mozambique perished in the flames. Rescue workers were able to save 47 folks from the inferno, and 26 injured persons received medical care around the city.
Shrutika's passing has deeply affected the TISS community; she was working hard on her Master's in Water Policy and Governance there.
Lawyer and former Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Somnath Bharti, expressed grief over Shrutika's death in a post on X, revealing that she was the daughter of a friend.
"In yesterday's Malviya Nagar fire incident, my friend's daughter too... I have no words for the family," Bharti wrote.
He described Shrutika as a talented and energetic student with a bright future ahead of her, adding that her dreams, achievements and contributions would always be remembered. He also said the tragedy had plunged not only the TISS community but the wider Barnwal community into mourning.
Offering condolences to her family, friends and well-wishers, Bharti prayed for strength for the bereaved family during what he described as an unbearable loss.
TISS mourns the loss of a student
Following the incident, TISS shared a condolence message on LinkedIn, expressing grief over the loss of the student.
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the untimely passing of our student, Shrutika Baranwal, of the Water Policy & Governance Programme (2024–2026), School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Shrutika tragically lost her life in a hotel fire incident in Delhi on the morning of 3 June 2026," the institute said.
The institute described her death as a heartbreaking loss and said her aspirations, contributions, and presence would remain a cherished part of the TISS community.
Passionate about Water governance and sustainability
According to her LinkedIn profile, Shrutika studied for her Master's in Water Policy and Governance at TISS Mumbai from 2024 to 2026. Before that, she graduated with a Zoology degree from Y.B.N University.
On her profile, she has also mentioned wanting to work in the development, policy, and sustainability fields. Additionally, she has done household surveys, checked out water supply systems, and tackled groundwater problems.
Research and Field Experience
At TISS, Shrutika got hands-on experience through various internships and research projects. In 2025, she worked as a Research Intern at Manthan Adhyayan Kendra. There, she looked into inland waterway governance and its effects on both the environment and society. This role had her checking out policies in Europe, China, and India, analysing how to safely move hazardous goods, and crafting suggestions for better, more sustainable waterway growth.
Before that, she did an internship with SAIL’s Corporate Social Responsibility team in Bokaro. For this project, she spoke with over 50 households to see what issues they faced with water access and management. Also, she analysed ten years of groundwater data to put together plans that would make the community water supply more sustainable.
The institute has extended its condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones, remembering her with "affection, respect and gratitude."
