Guv sought report after student deaths during exam periods
PANAJI
BITS Pilani, Goa campus has submitted a detailed report to Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai on the three suspected student suicide cases reported over the past five months.
The Governor had asked the institute’s Director on May 6 to submit a report explaining the reasons behind the suicides and what steps the institute is taking to prevent such incidents in future. He had expressed “shock and anguish” over the deaths.
Sanjeev Gauns Dessai, Secretary to the Governor, confirmed to The Goan that the report was submitted last week. “The report is currently with the Governor,” he said, without sharing further details.
In the first week of May, Krishna Kasera, 20, from Lucknow, a second-year student enrolled in a dual degree in MSc Chemistry and BE Electrical and Instrumentation, was found hanging from a window grill in his single-room hostel at the Zuarinagar campus. His family alleged foul play and refused to accept the body.
“The Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai has expressed his shock and anguish over the news of suspected three suicide cases of students at BITS Pilani Goa campus in the last few months,” the Governor’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier, in December 2024, Om Priyan Singh, 21, a second-year student of BE Computer Science and MSc Chemistry from Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide. In March 2025, Atharv Desai, 20, a third-year dual degree student, also ended his life in his hostel room.
All three deaths happened during exam periods.
After the incidents, the institute said it is working on revamping the curriculum and will offer students the option to take exams later if they are under stress. A special committee has been set up to carry out the changes.
The institute also said it will add new courses on mental and physical wellness and stress management to the revised curriculum. An internal review of the support systems available to students has also begun.
