Jaipur, Oct 8 — Outrage erupted among students at Rajasthan Technical University (RTU) on Thursday following the death of 19-year-old student Akshit Sharma.
Akshit was found unconscious in his hostel room and rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. While the exact cause of death remains unclear, fellow students have alleged negligence by the university administration and raised the possibility of a snakebite. The university, however, said a snakebite appeared unlikely and that cardiac arrest was currently suspected.
The exact cause will be established only after the post-mortem examination.
Following the incident, students locked the university's main gate and staged a protest, demanding, among other things, the removal of the Chief Warden. Police reached the campus and attempted to pacify the protesting students.
Akshit, a native of Jhotwara in Jaipur, was a first-year IT student at RTU and had enrolled during the current academic session. He lived in Room No. 61 of the Bhaskar Bhawan H-4 hostel with two other students.
On Wednesday, Akshit participated in campus activities, including a blood donation camp and cultural programmes. After the events ended, he returned to his hostel room at around 1 a.m., had a meal, and went to sleep.
On Thursday morning, one of his roommates tried to wake him but found that he was unresponsive. Other students and hostel authorities were subsequently informed.
According to fellow students, Akshit appeared to be in a critical condition, and his skin had become discoloured. A university doctor was informed, and Akshit was later taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
His body has been kept in the mortuary at New Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Protesting students claimed that snakes are frequently spotted on the RTU campus and in hostel premises. They suspect that Akshit may have died from a snakebite and have blamed the university administration for allegedly failing to ensure adequate cleanliness, lighting, and medical facilities in the hostel.
The students also questioned the condition of the hostels despite the university collecting development fees and having substantial funds at its disposal. They demanded better infrastructure and safety measures for students.
RTU Vice-Chancellor Nimit Ranjan Chaudhary, however, said a university doctor was sent to the hostel immediately after the administration received information about the incident.
According to him, Akshit's room is located on the first floor, making the possibility of a snakebite appear low at this stage. He said cardiac arrest was currently suspected but stressed that the actual cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem examination.
Students also raised questions about the response of Chief Warden D.K. Yadav. They alleged that there was a delay in his arrival and that the ambulance took too long to reach the hostel.
One student alleged that no immediate arrangements were made to take Akshit to hospital despite his deteriorating condition.
D.K. Yadav rejected the allegations, saying he received information about the incident at 9.56 a.m. He said that around five minutes later, he instructed two wardens to arrange an ambulance.
When the ambulance was delayed, he arranged an auto-rickshaw and personally went to the hostel.
Prof. Ranjan Maheshwari of the RTU Electronics Department said the student had been examined by the dispensary doctor.
According to the doctor's preliminary assessment, Akshit may have died in his sleep sometime between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Maheshwari said the body had stiffened and there were no visible signs of injury.
However, he reiterated that the precise cause of death could be determined only after the post-mortem report.
Following Akshit's death, students staged a sit-in at the university's main gate and raised slogans against the administration. Their demands include the removal of the Chief Warden, compensation for Akshit's family, and improvements to hostel facilities.
The students have said they will continue their protest until concrete action is taken on their demands.
Police reached the campus and attempted to reason with the protesters.
The post-mortem report is now expected to establish the circumstances and actual cause of Akshit Sharma's death.