BITS Pilani Goa Student Dies by Suicide, Sixth Campus Death in Two Years

A 20-year-old female student at BITS Pilani’s Goa campus died by apparent suicide, the sixth such death at the institute in two years. Police are investigating, with no foul play suspected.

A female student at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani’s Goa campus was found dead in her hostel room late Sunday night in an apparent suicide, police said on Monday. The 20‑year‑old third‑year Electronics and Communication Engineering student from Bengaluru was discovered hanging, in what authorities described as the sixth such student suicide reported at the institute in the past two years.

Police received a call from the hostel around 11:30 pm and responded to the scene, launching an inquest into the circumstances of her death. At this stage, no foul play has been suspected. The institute has yet to release an official statement regarding the latest incident.

The spate of deaths at one of India’s premier private engineering institutions has sparked fresh concern among students, families and policymakers about academic pressure and student well‑being. During the recent Goa Legislative Assembly winter session, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had acknowledged that previous suicides on the campus were linked to exam stress, although a definitive cause for each death remains under investigation.

Mental health experts and education advocates are urging stronger counselling support, wellness programmes and preventive frameworks to address persistent student stress and protect vulnerable learners. The recurring nature of these tragedies has amplified calls for institutional and regulatory action to bolster student support systems, reduce stigma and ensure timely intervention.

(Suicide is never a solution. Seek help from mental-health professionals. If you ever experience such thoughts, please call the ‘DISHA’ helpline. Toll-free helpline numbers: 1056, 0471-2552056)