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3 min readMumbai, New DelhiJun 5, 2026 04:30 AM IST
At a condolence meeting in Mumbai Thursday. (Photo: Pallavi Smart)
For Shrutika Baranwal, a 25-year-old from Bokaro in Jharkhand, the world was waiting.
A post-graduate from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, she had already landed a job in the city through campus placement. The Master’s degree in Water Policy and Governance was to be conferred later at a convocation.
Hired by the Rubber, Chemical & Polymer Skill Development Council, Shrutika travelled to Delhi to complete induction formalities and be back in Mumbai to start her career.
But that was not to be. She was one of the 21 who perished Wednesday in the fire that engulfed a B&B facility in Hauz Rani in South Delhi – she was one of the few who had checked in on a work-related visit, unlike the majority who were staying there for treatment in nearby hospitals or had accompanied patients.
Shrutika was on the phone with her friend and batchmate Aman Singh when the fire broke out. “I cannot forget those screams. I lost contact with her. When I was unable to reconnect the call, I spoke to a friend who knew where she stayed in Delhi and we contacted the police. Within a few minutes, they called and informed us about the fire,” he said.
Aman and Shrutika’s friends informed her family and her cousins in Delhi.
From a middle-class family in Bokaro, Shrutika, her friends recalled, joined TISS in the hope of securing a good placement. She was very excited when she landed a job.
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Ritika Agrawal (25), who shared a room with her for a year in college, remembers her as someone full of life. “Even if she would go wrong, she would take it sportingly. She was a safe space and a great listener… She was visiting Delhi for office work,” she said.
Pranjal Deekshit, chairperson of the TISS Centre for Water Policy and Governance, said, “Shrutika was a very sincere student who would proactively take part in various initiatives. She had secured a placement at the Rubber, Chemical & Polymer Skill Development Council and was excited. She was doing great work in the area of groundwater preservation. Her Master’s dissertation on shallow aquifer management in Dhanbad was well-appreciated by faculty as well as those working in the field.”
Eklavya Prasad, managing trustee of the Megh Pyne Abhiyan, an organisation actively working in this sector in Dhanbad, had guided Shrutika for the dissertation. “Her work and involvement in the field work were really commendable. She was not working to tick boxes, but with complete interest and purpose, wanting to bring about a change, and with a spark we require in the social sector,” Prasad said.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More
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