Hundreds at IIT Kanpur use drugs, insiders aid peddling: Probe

KANPUR: The IIT-Kanpur administration said on Saturday that an internal probe had revealed "a few hundred" students used drugs, adding that the situation warranted immediate action .

"As per an internal assessment (probe), a few hundred bright students of the institute are using drugs on the campus and the situation is alarming. We have raised the issue with district magistrate Surendra Singh, who has acknowledged the fact and assured an immediate and appropriate response," acting director Professor Manindra Agarwal told TOI on Saturday.

"The investigation has revealed the role of 'insiders', including security personnel, temporary staff and also students, in peddling drugs on the campus. We are now planning to hold counselling sessions for the entire student community in the next semester, beginning January, to keep them away from drugs," he said, adding that affected students will "be counselled for holistic de-addiction".

"To improve the scenario, we need to counsel our students and tell them about the harmful effects of drugs. But there is also an urgent need to identify and crack down on drug peddlers for whom students are a soft target. The situation has reached such a pass that there is no other way left but to take direct action against drug suppliers and also students who won't see reason," said Agarwal.