A 20-year-old B.Tech student from Arunachal Pradesh was found dead at his rented accommodation in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district on Saturday evening, prompting police action and student protests over an alleged credits-based “year back” policy at the autonomous college where he studied.
Incident and immediate response
The deceased, identified as Michi Marpu of Naharlagun in Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh, was a third-year engineering student at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), Kothamangalam. He was found at his rented residence at around 4.30 pm on August 15 and was declared brought dead after being taken to the Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital, according to police reports.
The Kothamangalam police registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which pertains to unnatural death, and initiated an investigation. The body has been kept at the Government Taluk Hospital, with an inquest and postmortem scheduled for Sunday (August 16) once relatives arrive, police said.
Students allege credit requirement caused distress
A section of students at the college protested after the incident, alleging that Marpu had been distressed by a college rule that requires students to obtain 22 credits in Semester 4 to progress to the next semester. The protesters contended that other engineering colleges in the State require a minimum of 18 credits to continue studies.
- College rule cited by protesters: 22 credits required in Semester 4
- Claimed standard elsewhere in Kerala: 18 credits
Students said the difference in credit thresholds had caused anxiety and academic pressure among some batches, though no formal records or statements from the college were made public at the time of reporting.
Government reaction and scope of inquiry
State Higher Education Minister Roji M. John said on Sunday that a proper investigation would be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. The Minister indicated that, in addition to the police probe, a department-level inquiry would be ordered to look into matters related to the incident.
“MACE decided to continue with the system in its capacity as an autonomous college though the college was supposed to comply with the Kerala Technology University decision to put the ‘year back’ system on hold,” said the Minister.
The Minister also observed that the government has limitations in intervening in academic decisions made by autonomous colleges, emphasising the boundary between state oversight and institutional autonomy.
Affiliation and policy background
According to the Minister’s statement, the Kerala Technological University had recently decided to suspend the ‘year back’ system and all affiliated colleges were expected to comply. However, the Minister said MACE, as an autonomous institution, had chosen to continue the system.
At present, it remains to be established whether the college’s internal regulations, their communication to students, or any other administrative actions contributed to the distress cited by protesting students. The departmental inquiry ordered by the Higher Education Department is expected to clarify institutional compliance with the university directive.
Next steps
Police investigators are probing the circumstances of Marpu’s death. The postmortem and inquest, scheduled after the arrival of relatives, will form part of the factual record. The departmental inquiry ordered by the Higher Education Department will examine administrative and academic aspects related to the college’s adoption of the credits rule.
Student protests at the college highlight broader concerns over how autonomous institutions implement academic rules and how such rules are communicated and reviewed, especially when they differ from university directives. Authorities said they will consider all relevant findings from both the police investigation and the departmental inquiry before taking further action.
The case remains under active investigation and officials urged students and others to allow the authorities to carry out their inquiries without obstruction.
