South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus, IAS, has submitted a detailed report to the state government regarding the suicide of a 20-year-old female student at BITS Pilani’s Goa campus on February 1. The incident marks the sixth student death reported at the institute within a year.
The student, who was from Bengaluru, allegedly died by suicide on campus. The incident has renewed concerns over student welfare and mental health support systems at higher education institutions.
Cleetus said the report outlines the circumstances surrounding the recent death and details the measures implemented by the institute following earlier incidents.
“I have submitted a detailed report to the government covering the student’s death and the steps implemented by the BITS Pilani administration since the fifth student death last year,” she said.
As head of the District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC), Cleetus stated that the institute has introduced several initiatives in line with Supreme Court guidelines on student mental health.
According to the Collector, the institute has engaged clinical psychologists, therapists and a psychiatrist to strengthen mental health services on campus.
“The DLMC is satisfied with the steps taken by the BITS administration in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives. The Committee will continue to periodically review these measures to ensure the well-being of students,” she added.
Cleetus further said that the Director of the institute had submitted a comprehensive report detailing actions taken to safeguard students.
“The DLMC had asked the institute to implement measures as per Supreme Court guidelines, which the administration has duly complied with,” she said.
The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the issue of student mental health and the effectiveness of institutional safeguards on campuses.
Leave a Reply