Kalyani, Aug. 12: In a significant institutional response following the suicide of senior research fellow Anamitra Roy, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata on Tuesday has initiated a series of sweeping changes to its anti-ragging and student welfare mechanisms.
Roy, a scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences who had lived with autism since childhood, was found unconscious in a campus laboratory last Thursday night after posting a final, lengthy message on Facebook. In the post, Roy explicitly named a senior PhD scholar for alleged repeated bullying and ragging, and accused his supervisor, Professor Anindita Bhadra, of protecting the perpetrator rather than intervening.
The tragedy and subsequent internal crisis have led to immediate structural reforms. On Tuesday, IISER authorities constituted an additional, independent Anti-Ragging Cell to take over and oversee all related matters. The new cell will be led by Arindam Kundagrami, an Associate Professor of Physical Sciences and former Dean of Students’ Affairs (DOSA). Kundagrami has been directed to report directly to Director Sunil Kumar Khare. This move comes after the resignation of the previous DOSA, Ayan Banerjee, who is the husband of the accused supervisor, Professor Bhadra. In the interim, Professor Balaram Mukhopadhyay of the Department of Chemical Sciences has been appointed as the new DOSA.
To address the immediate needs of students, the institute has also established an Emergency and Crisis Response Committee, headed by a Nodal Officer who will act as a single point of contact (SPOC) for students facing any emergency. Furthermore, the institute is in the process of forming a new Wellness and Welfare Committee with an independent dean to significantly strengthen mental health support on campus and proactively suggest preventive measures.
However, the institute’s efforts to ensure a fair investigation have met with strong resistance from the student community. The fact-finding committee, formed to conduct a free and fair probe into Roy’s death, is currently led by Santanu Chattopadhyay, Chairman of IIIT Kalyani. Students have lodged a formal, written appeal to the Director, demanding the removal of Chattopadhyay, citing his alleged long-standing proximity to both the former DOSA, Ayan Banerjee, and the accused supervisor, Professor Bhadra, which they argue constitutes a “conflict of interest.”
Similar objections have also been raised regarding the inclusion of internal members, Professor Mohit Prasad and Professor Mousumi Das, due to their reported closeness to Professor Bhadra, further complicating the internal probe.