A 26-year-old PhD scholar from Kerala studying at BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus was found dead at a rented accommodation in Verna on Wednesday, marking the institution’s second reported student suicide this year.
Egna Cleetus confirmed that preliminary findings point to suicide, while police investigations and the postmortem report are still awaited. She noted that this was the second such incident reported at the institution in 2026 and added that four similar cases had occurred last year.
Cleetus attributed the recurring incidents to what she described as a “suicide contagion” or cluster effect — a phenomenon recognised in psychological and public health studies where repeated exposure to suicide-related incidents may increase vulnerability among at-risk individuals.
“When there are repeated incidents of student suicide, vulnerable people tend to imitate and die by suicide when in an emotionally stressful situation,” she said.
A district-level monitoring committee formed after earlier incidents submitted its report to the government on February 2. According to Cleetus, the committee identified shortcomings in the campus mental health support system.
“One of the major findings was that they were not having an adequate number of mental healthcare professionals,” she said.
Following the recommendations, BITS Pilani Goa reportedly expanded its mental health support infrastructure and now offers round-the-clock in-house and external counselling services.
The institution has also introduced measures aimed at reducing academic pressure, including increasing elective options and making certain academic papers optional. Authorities said the institute has submitted a compliance report to the government regarding the measures taken.
In addition, the Directorate of Health Services conducted a medical camp on campus on April 10, followed by awareness programmes focused on stress management and emotional resilience.
If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or having thoughts of self-harm, reaching out to a mental health professional, trusted person, or local crisis helpline can help. In India, organisations such as AASRA Helpline and Sneha Foundation offer confidential support.
