UDAIPUR: In a shocking incident, a 25-year-old final-year dental student at Pacific Dental College and Hospital in Debari, near Udaipur, was found dead in her hostel room late Thursday night. The student, identified as Shweta Singh, left behind a suicide note alleging harassment by two faculty members, sparking protests on campus and serious allegations against the college administration.
Shweta, the only daughter of a Jammu and Kashmir Police constable, was pursuing her Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) at the private institution. She was discovered unresponsive around 11 PM, prompting a swift response from fellow students and police.
In her note, Shweta named two staff members — “Naini ma’am and Bhagwat sir” — accusing them of persistent harassment. Following the revelation, the college administration expelled both individuals. However, the incident has triggered a larger outcry from students, who allege a pattern of mistreatment by faculty, including arbitrary failure of students and repeated delays in examination schedules.
By Friday morning, hundreds of students gathered on campus, demanding justice for Shweta and systemic changes within the college. They accused the administration of demanding money for attendance and exams, especially from students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Local police, led by SHO Ravindra Singh, have launched an investigation into the matter. Authorities plan to interrogate faculty members and examine college records. The postmortem and formal registration of the case are pending the arrival of Shweta’s father.
Meanwhile, Rahul Agrawal, chairman of the Pacific Group that oversees the institution, acknowledged the students’ concerns during a public address. He assured them that corrective measures would be taken within two to three months. Agrawal also publicly reprimanded the college principal, Dr. Ravi Kumar, for failing to act on earlier complaints raised by students.
Shweta’s peers revealed she was part of an older batch that had repeatedly faced delays in examination schedules. Under college rules, supplementary exams should be held within six months, but her batch reportedly experienced a delay of over a year and a half. “She should have been doing her internship by now, but she was still appearing for her final year’s first internal exam,” one student said.
The incident has cast a spotlight on alleged administrative negligence and growing student unrest in private educational institutions.
