TISS grad who died in Delhi fire was on assignment for her first job

Mumbai: Shrutika Baranwal was 30 minutes away from checking out of the hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar when the fire broke out, claiming 21 lives including hers. A recent graduate of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Baranwal had landed a job and was in the capital for a work-related meeting. She had checked into Flourish Stays B&B for a night and was preparing to leave when the tragedy struck, according to institute sources.

Shrutika, 25, had got her first salary just the day before and was happy to share the news with her father. On Wednesday, she had a video call with her brother around 8.15 am, said Dean of the School of Habitat Studies, Prof Geetanjoy Sahu.

Baranwal, originally from Bokaro in Jharkhand, graduated from the premier Mumbai institute a month ago. As per her LinkedIn profile, Baranwal worked on household surveys, water supply assessments and groundwater-related studies. A friend said her MA thesis was based on shallow aquifers in Bihar. She had a bachelor’s in zoology, says her social media profile.

May 4 was the last day of instruction for the MA in Water Policy and Governance programme under the School of Habitat Studies; students presented their theses on May 23. A classmate, who spoke to her last week, said Baranwal began working ahead of most batchmates. “She told me her work was largely remote, with occasional field visits.”

Rishi Chaturvedi, another friend and classmate, said, “She was excited about securing a job and becoming financially independent. She was extremely close to her father and always wanted to make him proud,” he said. He regretted not staying in touch more often over the past month.

Institute officials said Shrutika was hired as a business development executive at the Rubber Chemical and Polymer Skill Development Council. “The requirement was posted on our group, Shrutika applied and she got through,” said the friend.

The institute held a condolence meeting on Thursday evening, where students and faculty remembered her as a bright and enthusiastic student who actively participated in campus activities.

“We received the information on Wednesday and immediately asked our students in Delhi and alumni to reach the hospital. Her father and brother arrived on Wednesday night. They took her body back to Jharkhand on Thursday morning,” said Prof Sahu.

One of the professors said the tragedy was a reminder of how human lives are often taken for granted in the country. He said serious safety violations continue to go unchecked, with innocent and unsuspecting people ultimately paying the price with their lives.