A first-year PhD scholar was found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Kharagpur around 1.20pm on Saturday — the fifth student death on campus this year.

Harsh Kumar Pandey, 26, from Ranchi, was pursuing a PhD in fluid dynamics under the mechanical engineering department. He was found in Room No. 557 of the BR Ambedkar Hall of Residence after security personnel broke in. They had been alerted when he failed to respond to knocks on the door and had not stepped out by noon. “He was found hanging from the ceiling fan,” an institute official said.

This is the second death in the mechanical engineering department in three months. On July 18, a fourth-year student from the same department was found hanging in Rajendra Prasad Hall.

IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty, who took office in mid-June and is a professor in the mechanical engineering department, said: “I am sad to know that a student has been found dead. It’s unfortunate that at a time when the institute is taking steps to prevent deaths on campus, another student has died.”

In a statement, Chakra-borty added: “At IIT Kharagpur, we recently observed World Suicide Prevention Day to reaffirm that no one in our community is ever alone in their struggle. We remain committed to building a compassionate ecosystem that listens, supports and uplifts every member of our community.”

The institute has filed an FIR, and police have launched an investigation.

The death comes just days after a Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force visited the campus on September 11 to explore the causes behind the rising number of student suicides. The four-member team is touring higher education institutions across the country to recommend preventive measures.

Harsh had completed his BTech in mechanical engineering from Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT), Calcutta, and his MTech from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in Allahabad. Sources said he had cleared coursework and recently taken screening tests to register as a PhD scholar.

An IIT teacher said the successive deaths suggest that the institute has yet to develop an effective mechanism to address student issues. “Last year, too, a student died on campus. The multiple deaths prompted the Supreme Court to ask the institute last month what measures it was taking to prevent such incidents,” the teacher said.

This year, Ritam Mondal, 21, a fourth-year student from Calcutta, was found hanging in Rajendra Prasad Hall on July 18.

Md. Asif Quamar, a third-year civil engineering student, hanged himself during a video call with a friend on May 4. He lived at Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya Hall.

Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year BTech student in ocean engineering and naval architecture from Maharashtra, was found hanging at JC Bose Hall on April 20.

Shaon Malik, a third-year electrical engineering student from Calcutta, was found hanging at Azad Hall on January 12.

In July, the institute held an induction programme for parents of first-year students to urge them not to place additional pressure on their children.

It also appointed a dean of students’ well-being and formed a 10-member external expert committee to suggest preventive measures.

Another tragedy on campus shows the institute still has a long way to go.