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IIT Ropar: Dalit student from Telangana dies by suicide, students learn of his death a week after he consumed poison

Published

1 year ago

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By Vikram Kilpady

A Dalit student at IIT Ropar, who consumed poison in his hostel room two weeks ago, died last Saturday in Chandigarh’s PGIMER.

The student, Marimesi Arun, hailed from Telangana and was in his fourth year studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. He would have graduated in barely three months.

A Hindi news report in the Jagran quoted unnamed sources saying Arun died by suicide owing to constant academic performance pressure and placement anxiety. The report added the news of his death broke in the IIT campus only this Monday, after a message was circulated for organising a condolence meeting.

Barring this report and the initial Jagran story, no news outlet has covered the incident, leave alone mentioning it in English media. The Jagran report added no official was willing to come on record about it. The Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering that Arun was studying in is said to have the most stringent grading system. Though Arun came through the preparatory batch for admission to the course and was given additional study for further assistance, the fear of not landing a placement has been named as a possible reason for his ending his life.

An IIT Ropar faculty member told APNLive.com on condition of anonymity that the condolence meeting was held at 12.30pm on Monday only after the deceased student’s body was sent with his parents to his hometown near Hyderabad, Telangana.

“Arun was doing poorly. His CGP was 5-point something out of 10. He had undergone the one-year preparatory course in English, Mathematics and Physics for students from marginalized and deprived backgrounds,” the faculty member said. He added that IIT Ropar authorities have downplayed the matter ever since Arun consumed poison and are now trying to hush it up.

Further, the authorities told Jagran that Arun was beset by personal problems and that academic pressure was not the reason why he chose death by suicide.

The faculty member said, “He was struggling against the toxic caste system prevalent in IITs. It is obviously why he didn’t get help to improve his scores. Nobody will speak the truth.”

“There was also a note he wrote in Telugu. Nobody has access. I am not sure whether his parents saw it. May be, it’s with the authorities. That letter will bring clarity,” the faculty member said.

The first news of Arun’s suicide, however, was posted on Reddit on March 19 under the thread Btechtards by an IIT Ropar student. It noted the pressure Arun was under and also that he had attempted suicide six months ago as well. The post said he was not offered the support that should have been provided. The post added both incidents were covered up by the administration.

Here’s the full Reddit post: “We recently got a message in one our groups that was promptly deleted, informing us of a suicide attempt by a final year student from Meta dept. The great thing? The attempt happened on Friday and we just got to know about it yesterday

“The student was under pressure due to acads and didn’t got placed and decided to take the major step. The student also allegedly took to such step 6 months before as well and was not offered the support that should have been provided. Both of these attempts was well covered up and hidden and by the administration.

“The acad pressure has been mounting up on various students and admin always bats an eye on such topics. The student is currently admitted in hospital. Mental health has been on a declining path in every clg around us nowadays.”

Comments on this post note Arun’s death after news broke in the campus.

If one goes by the Reddit post, Arun consumed poison on Holi, March 14. This was also the day a fire led to the discovery of large sums of cash in a Delhi bungalow. The story itself came to light later but is now all over the press and has breaking news coverage even after ten days. But Marimesi Arun, like other Dalit youngsters who die by their own hand in India’s IITs, remains unmourned.

The fact that deaths by suicide of Dalit IIT students receive barely any media attention is borne out by yesterday’s Supreme Court order directing the Delhi Police to register an FIR some two years after two Dalit students killed themselves at IIT Delhi.

B.Tech student Ayush Ashna was found hanging in his hostel room on 9 July, 2023. Within two months, B.Tech student Anil Kumar of Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district was found dead in his hostel room on September 1, 2023. The parents of the students had said the police did not register an FIR, although the suicides resulted from caste discrimination by IIT faculty and staff.

The government told the Lok Sabha in March 2023 that 33 IIT students had committed suicide in the last five years due to academic stress, family reasons, personal reasons and causes arising from mental health.

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Pralhad Joshi appointed Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

Pralhad Joshi has been entrusted with the additional charge of the Education Ministry after President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid the prolonged student protests over alleged examination paper leaks.

Published

10 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

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Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

The President’s office confirmed the appointment through an official communique issued on Saturday evening. Joshi will continue to hold his existing portfolio as Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs while also overseeing the Education Ministry.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid prolonged protests

Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation on the 35th day of the student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over alleged examination paper leaks.

In his resignation letter, the 57-year-old leader said he chose to step down to prevent anti-national forces from exploiting the situation.

“For over four decades, I have dedicated myself to the cause of students, teachers, and educational reform. I have always believed that a robust, inclusive, and visionary education system forms the cornerstone of a strong nation,” Pradhan said.

CJP ends protest after Centre’s assurance

Hours after Pradhan’s resignation, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, during a joint press conference with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, announced that the organisation was ending its protest in good faith after receiving assurances from the Centre that its demands would be addressed.

The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan had been the principal demand of the organisation founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate who returned to India to lead the campaign against alleged examination paper leaks.

Joshi reiterates government’s stand on students

A day before taking charge of the Education Ministry, Pralhad Joshi said the Centre remained committed to protecting students’ interests and ensuring strict action against irregularities affecting examinations.

He also alleged that anti-social elements were attempting to exploit the CJP-led protests and urged students to remain vigilant while continuing peaceful demonstrations.

“The Modi government has always stood with students and the youth. It remains committed to taking strict action against any irregularities or injustices that affect their future,” Joshi had said.

He added that while students have every right to protest peacefully, they should ensure that their genuine concerns are not misused by anti-social elements.

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Dharmendra Pradhan submits resignation to PM Modi amid student protests

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party.

Published

17 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

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Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major development amid the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Pradhan announced the decision through a post on X, just hours before the Centre was scheduled to hold the third round of talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The resignation of the Education Minister had remained the primary demand of the protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month seeking accountability and reforms in the examination system.

The latest development comes at a crucial time as both sides prepare for another round of discussions aimed at resolving the prolonged standoff.

As of now, there has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office on whether Pradhan’s resignation has been accepted. Further details are awaited.

Resignation comes before key Centre-CJP meeting

The announcement was made only hours before representatives of the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party were expected to meet for the third round of negotiations.

The talks are being closely watched as the government attempts to end the month-long protest, with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan remaining one of the protesters’ central demands.

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CJP says Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation non-negotiable ahead of third round of talks

CJP has hardened its stand before the third round of talks with the Centre, insisting that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation remains its primary and non-negotiable demand.

Published

21 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains its top demand, just hours before the third round of discussions with the Centre on Saturday.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would see little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the minister.

In a post on X, Ranka said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “non-negotiable” and added that there was no point in holding further discussions if the government rejected the demand.

The third round of talks is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours during the second round of discussions on Friday.

According to the CJP, it has placed three key demands before the Centre:

  • Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • A guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students.
  • Compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

During Friday’s meeting, the Centre agreed in principle to two of the demands — ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation. However, the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation remains unresolved.

Speaking after the meeting, JP Nadda said the protesters had also submitted five suggestions for reforms to the examination system. He said the government would hold internal discussions before responding during Saturday’s meeting.

Government sources, however, indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration. According to the sources, the government believes resignation is not the appropriate course of action and continues to back the minister.

Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures aimed at tackling examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases, while the government is preparing amendments to strengthen the law with stricter punishments and higher fines.

The Centre has also replaced the Education Secretary and removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while promising broader reforms within the examination body.

Responding to the action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was insufficient. He maintained that accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister and reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.

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