Protest over death of 20-year-old engineering student in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: A 20-year-old engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh was found dead in his rented accommodation near Kerala’s Kothamangalam, triggering protests over the college’s minimum credit requirements, “year back” system and high supplementary examination fees.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the deceased was identified as Michi Marpu, a native of Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh’s Papum Pare district. He was a third-year B.Tech student at MA College of Engineering in Kothamangalam.
According to the police, Marpu was found lying on the floor of his room at a rented house in Kozhipilly, where he lived with his college mates. A rope was found tied around his neck. Marpu was rushed to Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The death of 20-year-old Michi Marpu sparked massive protests against the Kerala college’s higher credit requirement, “year back” system and hefty supplementary examination fees. Police suspect that Marpu had attempted to hang himself from the roof of the room and that the rope subsequently broke, leaving him on the floor. A three-page suicide note written in English and Hindi was recovered from his room, police said.
According to police, Marpu may have taken the extreme step fearing that he would lose an academic year after securing low marks in a few subjects. “The college had sacked him from the class recently. Even that decision was not properly communicated to him,” a student said.
Student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India, Kerala Students Union and Fraternity Movement, alleged that MA College of Engineering, which follows an autonomous academic scheme, has fixed the minimum requirement at 22 credits. In comparison, colleges affiliated with Kerala Technological University require students to obtain 18 credits. The campus witnessed a massive student protest, prompting the college authorities to hold talks with the protesters.
