Orissa high court expands suicide prevention scrutiny to all universities, stays action against KIIT, KISS

Cuttack: Emphasising that incidents of student suicides on campuses are a matter of “grave and pressing concern”, Orissa high court has widened the scope of scrutiny to all public and private universities in Odisha, and restrained the state from taking any coercive action against KIIT and KISS for now.In his Dec 12 order, Justice S K Panigrahi directed the chief secretary to place on record a comprehensive, duly sworn compliance affidavit addressing systemic deficiencies highlighted by the higher education department — not limited to KIIT/KISS but extending to all universities in the state.“This court does not perceive the present proceedings as adversarial in nature; rather, it considers that all universities within the state, whether in the public or private sector, ought to be issued similar notices by the department of higher education, with a view to ensuring due and uniform compliance with the prescribed norms and safeguards,” Justice Panigrahi observed.KIIT and KISS authorities had moved the HC on April 4 challenging the March 27 order of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) holding KIIT accountable in connection with the alleged suicide of a Nepalese student on Feb 16 and directing the chief secretary to submit an action taken report. On April 7, HC had stayed all NHRC proceedings in the matter.While extending the interim stay, Justice Panigrahi ordered the chief secretary to “forbear from initiating, continuing, or giving effect to any coercive measure” against KIIT and KISS pursuant to a show-cause notice dated Sept 9, issued by the department until the compliance affidavit is filed, considered, and the issues are conclusively adjudicated.

The case will be heard next on Feb 24, 2026.The interim protection came while hearing an interlocutory application by KIIT and KISS seeking enforcement of the HC’s April 7 interim order and a restraint on coercive steps pursuant to the Sept 9 show-cause notice.Along with the notice, the institutes were also directed to submit a detailed compliance report indicating corrective measures already taken, corrective measures proposed, with clear timelines for implementation, responsibility fixed for the lapses identified; and mechanism to ensure such incidents don’t recur in future. Accordingly, a comprehensive reply was filed on Sept 24, the court was told.