NIT Silchar Appoints New Dean Of Academics After Protests Following Campus Suicide

Students at NIT Silchar went on a hunger strike with their demands which was later withdrawn after assurance from the college authority.

The National Institute of Technology, SIlchar, has appointed Professor Brinda Bhowmik as its new Dean of Academics, replacing BK Roy. The move from the premier tech and engineering institution comes following a week-lomng protest at the NIT Silchar campus, following the suicide of a student on the campus, news agency PTI reported officials as saying. Citing an official notification, it has been reported that Professor Bhowmik will take charge as the new Dean of Academics at NIT Silchar from September 25, 2023. 

A professor in the department of electronics and communication engineering, Brinda Bhowmik will serve on the post for two years from the date of taking charge, the official notification was reported as saying. 

Notably, the NIT Silchar campus witnessed breaking out of protests following the demise of a thyroid-year student from Arunachal Pradesh. The student was found dead inside his hostel room. Following the incident, students at the NIT Silchar campus alleged Roy for insulting the deceased student for reportedly getting multiple backlogs in his sixth semester exams that were held in 2021. 

Owing to the pandemic-induced lockdown, the student had to move to his home in Arunachal Pradesh back then where he was unable to attend online classes due to poor internet connectivity, which eventually resulted in his backlogs, students at the campus claimed. 

Following multiple backlogs, the student also requested the authorities to conduct a special examination in order to clear his backlogs. However, Roy allegedly insulted him over his backlogs. Following the incident, the student locked himself up in his hostel room, where his body was found hanging, students at NIT Silchar were reported as saying by PTI. 

In the protests at the campus which followed after, students blamed BK Roy for the death of the student and demanded his resignation. The students further demanded no disciplinary action against them for the protests. The NIT Silchar students launched a hunger strike with their demands and withdrew from it only after assurance from the college authority. 

(With inputs from PTI)

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