Kerala Government to bear cost of transporting Michi Marpu's mortal remains to Arunachal Pradesh
The mortal remains of Michi Marpu, the 20-year-old engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh whose death has triggered student protests and a state inquiry into academic policies at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), will be transported to his native place at the full expense of the Kerala government. The arrangements were expedited following the intervention of Higher Education Minister Roji M. John.
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.
Marpu's mortal remains were flown from Kochi to Delhi on IndiGo flight 6E 2382, which departed at 6 pm on Monday. From Delhi, the body will be taken to Itanagar by a connecting IndiGo flight, 6E 5927, scheduled to depart at 3.30 pm on Tuesday, August 18, and reach Donyi Polo Airport at Hollongi near Itanagar. The Kerala government has requested the Arunachal Pradesh government to arrange an ambulance equipped with a mobile freezer and all necessary facilities to receive the mortal remains at the airport, and has also sought its assistance in transporting the body from the airport to the family home at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district. The Kerala government has formally written to the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh seeking the required arrangements.
Minister Roji M. John visited Kalamassery Medical College on Monday morning and met the family members of Michi Marpu, assuring them that the state government would extend all necessary assistance.
