A 20-year-old BTech student from Arunachal Pradesh was found dead at Kothamangalam in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, triggering protests from students and prompting the State government to initiate a probe into the incident.

Michi Marpu, a native of Naharlagun in Papum Pare in Arunachal Pradesh, was found dead at his rented residence around 4.30 p.m. on Saturday (August 15, 2026). The deceased was a third-year engineering student at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), Kothamangalam. Though he was rushed to the Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital by his friends, he was declared brought dead.

A section of students alleged that Marpu was distressed over the ‘year break system’ in the college which reportedly mandated that only students who score 22 credits in Semester 4 are allowed to proceed to the next semester. The protesting students claimed that the minimum credit requirement for continuing studies at other engineering colleges in the State is only 18.

The Kothamangalam police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) pertaining to unnatural death and launched an investigation.

Marpu’s body has been kept at the Government Taluk Hospital in Kothamangalam. A post-mortem examination will be conducted on Monday (August 17, 2026), the Kothamangalam police said. The relatives of the deceased arrived in Kochi on Sunday, they added.

Reacting to the incident, State Higher Education Minister Roji M. John on Sunday (August 16, 2026) said a proper investigation will be ensured into the circumstances that led to the death of the student. He said along with the police investigation, a department-level inquiry will also be ordered into the incident.

The Minister said the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University had recently decided to put on hold the ‘year back’ system and all colleges affiliated with the university were supposed to comply with the decision.

“MACE decided to continue with the system in its capacity as an autonomous college though the college was asked to reconsider the decision. The government has limitations in interfering academic decisions of autonomous colleges. Our stand is that institutions should be taking academic-related decisions considering the future and safety of students,” Mr. John said.

The Minister said around 20 students of the college in Kothamangalam were facing difficulties due to the ‘year back’ system. “Institutions should be more careful in handling such situations. Students should be given counselling and their families should be convinced about the situation,” he said.

The campus witnessed a massive protest by students on Sunday, prompting the authorities to hold talks with them.

The protesters, backed by the SFI and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), raised several demands, including withdrawal of the year-back system, reinstatement of all students who had been expelled as a result of it, reduction of examination fees and ensuring regular monthly college council meetings. They also demanded that a separate grievance redressal and counselling cell be set up for students from other States. The protest was called after demands were accepted during talks with college management representatives led by Principal Bose Mathew. After the talks, SFI and DYFI activists and students stopped the management representatives as they came out, demanding that the decisions be explained.

The college management, in a statement, said that they would immediately take steps to address the concerns of the student community as per the guidelines of the KTU.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) has also demanded a comprehensive probe into Marpu’s death.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline of Maithri - 0484-2540530, Thanal Suicide Prevention Centre - 0495-2760000 and DISHA- 1056.)