Arunachal student suicide in Kerala: Protesters blame ‘harsh’ credit score system

A 20-year-old engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh, Michi Marpu, was found dead at his rented accommodation near the Mar Athanasius College of Engineering in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam district on Saturday. The tragic incident sparked protests by students, who accused the college of having a "harsh" credit score system. Higher Education Minister Roji M John has called for the college to abandon the "year back" system, which forces students to repeat an academic year if they fail to meet the credit score requirements.

The deceased student's body was discovered by his peers at around 3 pm on Saturday, and a suicide note was found alongside him. Marpu's roommates are now demanding answers regarding his sudden demise, claiming that he had been dismissed from his class one-and-a-half months prior, with the college failing to communicate the decision properly.

The college principal, Dr Bose Mathew, stated that Marpu had not attended classes since July when the fifth semester of the B Tech program began, having failed four subjects in the previous semester. The principal and the protesting students are calling for the reduction of the credit score requirement from 22 to 18, as well as a decrease in the fee for supplementary exams.

The Ministry of Higher Education has directed the college to cease the "year back" system, but Mar Athanasius has yet to do so.