PhD student’s suicide leaves family in shock

Kanpur: The family of Ankit Yadav, the 24-year-old PhD scholar at IIT-Kanpur who allegedly ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling of his hostel room on Monday, expressed shock and disbelief and said that he could not take such an extreme step.Ankit's father Rammurat Yadav, who reached Kanpur from Noida on Tuesday, said: "I can't believe my son has taken such a step. Everything seemed fine at home. My son will never return. He was my greatest strength."A faculty member at IIT-Kanpur said, "PhD-related stress typically manifests after three years. The initial phase involves coursework, which Ankit completed in Nov, followed by a month of laboratory research. The first semester commenced in Jan, therefore, it is unlikely that academic pressure forced him to end his life."According to dean, student affairs, Prof Prateek Sen, Ankit received a five-year UGC fellowship in which he was to receive Rs 37,000 monthly for two years, and Rs 41,000 per month for the remaining period.Ankit Yadav was a UGC fellowship recipient and joined IIT-K in July 2024. He hailed from Noida and was pursuing his first semester of PhD studies in chemistry.A suicide note was recovered in the room which read: "I am quitting, no one is involved, this is my own decision."DCP, west, Rajesh Kumar Singh said: "Authorities have collected his mobile phone and laptop for examination. Police will speak to his family members to ascertain the reason for the suicide.""IIT-Kanpur mourns the tragic and untimely demise of Ankit Yadav, a PhD scholar in the department of chemistry. He was a promising research scholar who joined the institute in July 2024, with a UGC Fellowship," a statement released by the institute said.ADCP, west, Vijayendra Dwivedi said, "Ankit has not named anyone in the suicide note. We will investigate the death if the family files a formal complaint."