Another Student Death at IIT Kharagpur Raises Safety Concerns
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has been rocked by yet another student death, the sixth on campus this year, sparking renewed concern over student well-being at one of India’s premier engineering institutes. On Saturday afternoon, police recovered the hanging body of a student from B.R. Ambedkar Hall of Residence. The deceased was identified as Harshkumar Pandey, a native of Jharkhand. Police from Hijli outpost under Kharagpur Town police station removed the body after being alerted around 2 p.m. “We have started an investigation. The exact cause of death will only be known after the post-mortem,” a district police officer said. This latest incident adds to a troubling pattern of deaths at IIT Kharagpur. Five of the six fatalities this year have involved students found hanging in their hostel rooms. In January, the body of Shoan Malik was discovered, followed by the deaths of Aniket Walkar in April and Mohammad Asif Qamar in March. In July, two deaths occurred within days: on 18 July, Ritam Mondal, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student from Kolkata, was found hanging in his hostel, while on 21 July, Chandradeep Pawar, a second-year electrical engineering student from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, choked to death after reportedly swallowing medicine. The series of incidents has raised urgent questions about mental health and counselling support at IIT Kharagpur, an institution renowned for academic excellence but often criticised for its high-pressure environment. Student groups and alumni have repeatedly urged the administration to expand counselling services, while parents of current students have voiced alarm over safety and supervision in hostels. While the police have not confirmed foul play in any of the cases, the recurring nature of the deaths has cast a shadow over campus life. “It is deeply distressing. Every few months we hear of another death,” said a third-year student who requested anonymity. The institute has yet to issue an official statement on Pandey’s death.
Grief and Memories as Assam Mourns Singer Zubeen Garg
The family of Zubeen Garg, one of northeast India’s most celebrated singers, was on Saturday awaiting the return of his body from Singapore, a day after he drowned while swimming without a life jacket during a yacht trip. The 52-year-old artist had travelled to Singapore to attend the North East India Festival. He joined 17 others on a sea outing on Friday but reportedly ventured into the water without protective gear. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that an autopsy was conducted at a Singapore hospital and that the body would arrive in Delhi late Saturday before being flown to Guwahati. At Garg’s Kahilipara residence, family members received a steady stream of mourners. His 85-year-old father, Mohini Mohan Borthakur — a former bureaucrat and acclaimed poet battling Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes — appeared resigned to fate. He had earlier endured the deaths of his wife, Ily, and daughter Jongki, an actor-singer killed in a 2002 road accident. Now, his only surviving child is Palme, a university professor. Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, a fashion designer, maintained composure while greeting visitors, relatives said. Local authorities restricted entry to the residence to prevent overcrowding as fans thronged to pay homage. “We don’t want a stampede-like situation,” said Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur. Neighbours remembered Garg as humble despite his fame. “He was the guy next door, hanging out at the corner shops just like us,” said Rickjyoti Batshya, who recalled the singer obliging every request for a greeting or photo. Fans would often gather outside his apartment, particularly on his birthday, when the gates had to be closed to control crowds. “His car passing by was enough for young people from a nearby hostel to shout out to him,” Batshya said. As the city prepares to receive his mortal remains, Assam mourns the loss of a cultural icon whose voice defined generations of music lovers in the region.
US Tech Giants Urge H-1B Workers to Stay Amid Trump Visa Fee Hike
U.S. multinational companies including Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase have urged their employees holding H-1B visas to remain in the United States, as uncertainty grows following President Donald Trump’s new directive raising the cost of such visas. Emails sent to employees this week, reviewed by Reuters, instructed H-1B and H-4 visa holders to return to the U.S. by Sunday or avoid international travel until further notice. Microsoft, in a message to its staff, said, “We are asking those on H-1B and H-4 visas to return to the United States within the specified time frame.” JPMorgan has gone further, advising workers not to leave the country at all until the company receives additional guidance. The companies have not explained the move, but industry observers believe it is tied to Trump’s latest executive order. Signed Friday, the directive imposes a $100,000 annual fee — roughly 8.8 million rupees — for companies employing workers on H-1B visas. The H-1B program, a nonimmigrant visa system, allows U.S. firms to hire skilled foreign workers, many of them from India and China. While the new policy does not ban the visa outright, labor experts say the steep fee is intended to discourage companies from sponsoring foreign talent. The technology sector, heavily reliant on international hires, could face a major disruption. According to government data, Amazon employs more H-1B workers than any other U.S. company, with more than 10,000 staff on the visa. Tata Consultancy Services follows with 5,505, while Microsoft employs 5,189, Meta 5,123, Apple 4,202 and Google 4,181. Industry leaders have yet to comment publicly on the White House’s announcement, but labor analysts warn that higher costs could slow recruitment of overseas professionals and intensify an already competitive U.S. job market for tech skills. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the measure, saying the administration consulted “all major U.S. multinationals” before finalizing the decision. “This is about ensuring American workers are prioritized while companies contribute fairly to the system,” Lutnick said. The H-1B visa has long been a political flashpoint in Washington. Supporters argue the program supplies essential talent to keep U.S. companies globally competitive, while critics contend it undercuts American workers by lowering wages. For now, thousands of foreign professionals and their families are scrambling to comply with employers’ instructions, hoping to secure their legal status before the new rules take effect.
