SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED-A CONCERN FOR THE SOCIETY

I read the following news through various online sources-and I cried as many times as I read this (I felt like writing a few lines so that I can feel better).

Kanpur, May 31 The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IIT-K) was rocked by another suicide — second within a span of one month — on late Friday night when a B Tech final year student was found hanging in her hotel room.

Toya Chatterjee, who had failed in two of her papers in the final semester, was found dead in the girls’ hostel on the eve of the institute’s annual convocation scheduled for Saturday.

Her father, Kunal Chatterjee, unaware of his daughter’s failure had arrived here on Friday to see Toya get the degree at the convocation ceremony. He went to meet Toya in her room around 11 pm and found the door locked from inside. He, along with other girls of the hostel, broke open the door to find her hanging with a rope from the ceiling fan.

A student of Bio Sciences and Bio Engineering, Toya was declared ineligible for getting her degree on Saturday, as she had failed in the final semester. Instead, she was told to apply for the summer course, on passing which she would have been awarded the degree in July this year. She had gone to her parental home in Kolkata for a week but did not inform them about her failure.

IIT-K Director Sanjay Govind Dhande said Toya was suffering from depression and was not physically fit. “On several occasions, her parents had been apprised of the matter by the Dean of Student Affairs and Project Guide,” he said. “She often remained absent from the classes, and was an average student,” he added.

Though the IIT-K authorities referred to Toya as an “average student,” her performance shows otherwise. She had cleared CAT examination and had offers from all the six IIMs in the country.

On April 18, Prashant Kumar Kureel, a first year B Tech student, had also committed suicide.

Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Another-suicide-rocks-IIT-Kanpur/317197/

Failed IIT student commits suicide
Classmates allege faulty grading system
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, May 31
Barely hours before the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, a final year student hanged herself from her hostel room fan after failing to qualify in two papers in her B.Tech (Biological Sciences) examination.

Confirming the death of 22-year-old Toya Chatterjee, SSP Ashok Kumar Singh said her body had been sent for the postmortem after which it would be handed over to her family. A committee, comprising senior professors of the institution, has been constituted to probe into the matter.

Hailing from Kolkata, Toya was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room by her father Kunal Chatterjee last night, assistant registrar K.V. Satyamurthi said today.

Apparently, she had not informed her parents of her not qualifying the final examination. The father had arrived in Kanpur yesterday to attend the convocation ceremony thinking his daughter would receive the degree.

Toya's father, who was staying at a hotel in the city, found his daughter dead in her room when he came to meet her last night, informed the SSP.

A suicide note recovered from her room read, “Papa, I failed in two subjects but did not inform you about this. I won't be able to receive the degree this convocation since I could not pass. I am ashamed. Please take care of mummy”. Describing her as a brilliant student, her classmate Shikha said she had cleared the entrance examination of all IIMs in the country.

Blaming the grading system in the IIT for delivering shocking results that students cannot handle and resort to such extreme steps, many students interviewed by a local news channel expected the institute to consider modifying this system. Undeterred by the tragic turn of events, the institute today conferred degrees on 994 students of various courses during the 40th annual convocation ceremony here.

Prof Shin Choon Fong, director, National University of Singapore, gave the convocation address.

Toya was just 22 and I believe that she could have been saved, had by any means she would have told her family about the failure. Second suicide in a month's time and the college authority is not moved. What a shame for the society, for us, to have lost brilliant students and even not so brilliant students because of reasons which could have been avoided by taking certain active steps to curb such suicides. Her father had accompanied her all the way from Kolkata to the city and she didn't speak a word. It indeed is difficult no doubt. And to inform her father who was so happy to come to the convocation just to see her child get a degree along with the other students was the most difficult thing Toya could have done. But she couldn't. The fault lies with no one. I just thought about the father and the mother of the student who would have given there heart and soul to let her child achieve greater heights. And now in a moment they are left with nothing except grief. Not to forget Toya, who must be in extreme dilemma thinking as to how could she tell her father and mother about her failure. I can only try to imagine the intensity of the situation.
I have nothing much to write as it is more about self thinking. After hearing about this sad event I pray to God to make me more strong so that I could be of some help to someone in need. I would like to be sincere enough towards any relation that I am having whether it is of a brother, friend or just a council, so that the other person can effortlessly share with me what he/she feels. Sharing feelings always helps to reduce the risk of any extreme step.
Let her soul rest in peace. Amen.