IIT Delhi on Monday cancelled classes after students staged a protest demanding an independent probe into alleged administrative lapses linked to the death of 26-year-old MSc Physics student Rishikesh. The students also demanded the resignation of senior officials and Rs 1 crore compensation for the student’s family.
The students had demanded that the institute call off all classes in the Lecture Hall Complex and across the campus on Monday, August 24, 2026, stating that classes should not continue as though the death of a student had not occurred.
They also demanded that no action be taken against any student protesting over the student’s death and that the administration communicate this stance on the demands in an official statement. The students demanded that Rishikesh’s family be compensated adequately and compassionately, with a compensation of Rs 1 crore.
They demanded that administrators and staff found culpable in the process be held accountable.
Demanding justice for Rishikesh, the students called for an independent investigation into the alleged lapses committed by the administration that, they said, made Rishikesh feel helpless and isolated and left him with no option other than taking his own life.
