21-year-old student from Rajasthan jumps to death from IIT Bombay hostel
An IIT student, namely Naman Agarwal (21 years), a second-year B.Tech (Civil Engineering) student, committed suicide by jumping from the terrace of Hostel No. 4.
A 21-year-old IIT Bombay student died after jumping from the terrace of a hostel building inside the campus, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place at the Powai campus, where Naman Agarwal jumped from the hostel terrace. The student was a second-year BTech engineering student and a native of Pilani in Rajasthan. According to initial reports, Naman was residing in Hostel No. 4 at IIT Bombay.
The local Powai police have registered the case as an Accidental Death Report (ADR). The investigation will continue, as the matter is linked to suicide. In the initial briefing, police said that no suicide note was found in Naman’s hostel room or at the spot.
No official statement has been issued by IIT Bombay authorities so far on the incident.
IIT Bombay is considered one of the top engineering institutions in the country.
THE SUICIDE CRISIS IN THE IITs
Despite several measures taken in recent years, including the setting up of dedicated mental health counselling units and student support systems, incidents of student suicides have continued to be reported across IITs.
According to available government and institutional data, more than 35 student suicides have been reported across IITs in the last five years.
In the last month alone, on January 20, 2026, a PhD scholar from the Earth Sciences department at IIT Kanpur died by suicide. This takes the total number of student suicides on IIT Kanpur campuse to 8 over the past two years.
Between 2019 and 2024, multiple IITs, including IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur, have reported such cases. In 2023 alone, at least 7 student suicides were reported across IIT campuses, making it one of the highest figures in recent years.
While academic pressure, personal issues and mental health concerns are often cited during investigations, police and institute authorities have stated that each case is examined individually.
In many cases, no suicide notes are recovered, making it difficult to establish immediate reasons behind the deaths.
The investigation in Naman Agarwal’s case is ongoing. Police said statements from hostel residents, friends and faculty members will be recorded as part of the inquiry.