Engineering student’s death sparks protests over autonomous college’s credit rules

The death of a 20-year-old engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh has triggered student protests and a state inquiry into academic policies at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), with authorities examining whether institutional pressure over credits contributed to the tragedy.

Michi Marpu, a third-year BTech student from Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh, was found dead in his rented accommodation in Kozhipilly, near Kothamangalam, on Saturday evening. Marpu shared the accommodation with college mates, who discovered him and rushed him to Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. They are also examining whether institutional abetment clauses apply, based on a three-page note recovered from his room. The note reportedly referred to internal marks that Marpu believed made it impossible for him to clear the 22-credit threshold required to avoid a “year out”. This is higher than the standard 18-credit requirement at KTU-affiliated colleges.

Classmates alleged that Marpu had been barred from attending classes for about one-and-a-half months because of his falling credit score. They claimed he was not given any formal notice and that his parents were also not informed. “He was kept out of classes without any official notice, and his name was removed from every list. Even his parents were not informed,” a fellow student said.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) held protests on the campus and marched to the police station, demanding that MACE align its threshold with that of KTU. They alleged that the autonomous college continued with the “year-back” system after KTU suspended it. The college management said, “Year-back students will be taken back, and the reduction in supplementary exam fees is under consideration.” Students, however, said the decision did not address their main demand for a lower credit threshold.

Higher Education Minister Roji M. John described the death as “a very unfortunate event” and said the government would conduct a clear investigation. According to the minister, the rule at MACE dates back to a 2024 Board of Studies decision, with this year’s batch being the first to come under it.

“This year, the year-back system has been decided to be cancelled by KTU. Autonomous colleges should normally follow this, but they did not withdraw it. I had contacted the college, but they were not ready to withdraw it,” he said.

According to media reports, Marpu’s body has been kept at the Government Taluk Hospital in Kothamangalam. His relatives arrived in Kochi on Sunday. The Kothamangalam police said the post-mortem examination will be conducted on Monday, August 17.