Latest news with #Asperger
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
IISER gets new anti-ragging cell, crisis-response panel
1 2 Kolkata: The Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Kolkata (IISER-Kolkata), on Tuesday set up a new anti-ragging cell to oversee all matters pertaining to ragging and its prevention. It has also constituted an emergency and crisis response committee to deal with exigencies. An IISER official said, "The new anti-ragging cell will be headed by physical sciences professor Arindam Kundragrami. Junior assistant Annie Sunita Kerketta is assigned to this cell, in addition to her existing responsibilities at the student affairs section." The twin moves followed the suicide of 26-year-old PhD student Anamitra Roy at the institute. Roy, who had Asperger's syndrome, left behind a Facebook post, in which he detailed how his complaints against a fellow student's insulting behaviour were ignored. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in Kolkata The new anti-ragging cell was formed a day after the earlier one was dissolved following complaints from students. The IISER-Kolkata dean of students also resigned from the post. IISER said on Tuesday that a professor in charge of the institute would oversee the functioning of the new anti-ragging cell. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo "There will be an office that will handle such cases and a dedicated helpline will be there. The cell will function independently," said a statement issued by the institute. The institute, after dissolving the earlier anti-ragging cell, asked the students to suggest names for the new one. IISER has also designated a nodal officer and a co-nodal officer whom students can contact in any emergency and they will also look into any issues related to students. The two officers will work closely with students' representatives and other nominated officials. After Roy's suicide, a relative had lodged a complaint at the Haringhata PS. Students had alleged the earlier anti-ragging committee had neglected Roy's complaint against a scholar and the supervisor. They also alleged a "conflict of interest" as Roy's complaints were aimed at the dean of students Ayan Banerjee's wife. The institute is also setting up a 'Wellness & Welfare Committee' with an independent dean as its chair "to strengthen the mental health ecosystem" of the campus. The panel will suggest steps to avoid a repetition of such an incident. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
IISER Kolkata scholar's death: Family alleges ‘institutional murder'
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent, unnatural death of PhD scholar Anamitra Roy. 'A fact-finding team was instituted on August 9 to look into the matter. It comprises both external and internal members,' a spokesperson of IISER Kolkata told The Hindu on Monday (August 11, 2025). Mr. Roy, a 25-year-old scholar of biological sciences, passed away on Friday (August 8, 2025) morning at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kalyani, after being found unconscious in a laboratory on the Kalyani campus. The family of the deceased filed a police complaint against his fellow PhD scholar Sourabh Biswas and his supervisor Anindita Bhadra at Haringhata Police Station on August 9, and a case was lodged, according to a relative. These two individuals were named and accused of abuse and negligence in a social media post by Mr. Roy hours before his death. 'While it is being deemed a suicide, we believe it is an institutional murder. His friends are witnesses to how complicit these two individuals were in driving him to his death. He had spoken to his parents at around 8.40 p.m. the previous night. Nobody imagined we would lose him the next day,' a relative of the deceased told The Hindu. In the wee hours of Friday (August 8, 2025), Mr. Roy posted a detailed message on his social media account about his struggles at the Institute, alleging abuse by Mr. Biswas, and oversight by Professor Bhadra, as well as the Institute's anti-ragging cell. 'I alongside many of my colleagues have been repeatedly abused by Sourabh Biswas, a PhD student in our lab. Repeated complains to our supervisor Anindita Bhadra fell to deaf ears,' Mr. Roy had written on Facebook. He had further alleged that Mr. Bhadra blamed him for the circumstances despite his complaints. Mr. Bhadra is a professor of biological sciences at IISER. He had added that on April 12, Mr. Biswas had allegedly 'shouted at him for an extended period of time' in the lab, and that no action was taken despite him lodging repeated complaints with the Institute's anti-ragging cell. In a document titled 'Regarding Sourabh', the deceased scholar had further said that he demands an apology from Mr. Biswas on his official email for his 'repeated instances of abusive behaviour'. 'I registered complaints with IISER Kolkata anti-ragging cell both via email and via official portal. They never reached back to me. One member of students' affairs council was supportive to me, while another told me that I should have thought about lab's reputation before complaining,' the scholar had alleged. Personal struggles According to his social media post, Mr. Roy had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had also faced 'recurrent physical, mental abuse from parents'. Mr. Roy was a researcher at IISER Kolkata's 'Dog Lab' headed by Professor Bhadra. The lab, located in the CV Raman building of the Institute's Mohanpur campus, studies the natural history and behaviour of India's stray dogs. Mr. Roy was part of at least three publications by the lab, including as the first author in one publication titled 'Ready, set, yellow! Color preference of Indian free-ranging dogs', published earlier this year. The study on colour vision-related behaviours in dogs found an overwhelming preference for the colour yellow in 134 untrained adult dogs. 'Anamitra had informed the IISER administration multiple times about his experiences being bullied by his fellows. They did not respond to him or meet him even once. There is no doubt that what happened to him [is] tantamount to ragging, and that the negligence of the campus authority is to be blamed for his death,' State secretary of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) Debanjan Dey said. He added that representatives of SFI have requested an audience with the Institute's director on August 14. (Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Abetment case filed for IISER boy's death, institute forms probe panel
1 2 Kolkata: A cousin of Anamitra Roy (26), the deceased PhD student at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, lodged a complaint at the Haringhata police station on Saturday, alleging he had been ragged and that the institute had ignored Roy's grievance with the anti-ragging cell. Following the complaint, police registered a case of abetment to suicide. Roy died at AIIMS Kalyani on Friday, a day after he consumed a large number of anti-depressant pills inside a lab at IISER. Police visited the Mohanpur campus. IISER, which had in a statement on Friday, resolved to examine and improve their systems of checks and balances to identify and stop a repetition of such incidents, constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances leading to Roy's death. But the institute has reportedly ruled out ragging as the cause as Roy had been on the campus for the past eight years. Instead, it is looking at a possible dispute between Roy and another PhD student over the use of the lab. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Before he consumed the pills, Roy wrote a long post on Facebook, recounting the humiliation he faced allegedly owing to the manner in which a fellow student had treated him. Roy, who suffered from Asperger's syndrome, mentioned mental and physical abuse since childhood, both at home and outside, including bullying at school and college. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo He mentioned he suffered his first major bout of depression when he was 14. Roy's cousin, Hrisikesh, who lodged the complaint on behalf of Roy's parents, said that from Roy's final post, it was evident he was subjected to severe bullying and was pushed into a deep state of mental depression by a senior at IISER. "Instead of receiving guidance and support from his PhD supervisor, he was continually demoralised," Hrisikesh said, claiming despite filing a complaint with the anti-ragging cell, no action was taken. Students from IISER-Kolkata stayed put at AIIMS Kalyani, where a post-mortem was conducted. After the procedure, Roy's body was taken to the IISER campus. The students later submitted a memorandum to the institute, questioning why the anti-ragging committee remained silent despite Roy's complaint in April. They demanded a thorough probe and punishment for perpetrators. After Roy's admission to AIIMS, Hrisikesh alleged, intimation was not given properly to his guardians. "A senior representative of the institute later informed us that he had suffered a severe organ failure. The next morning, he was declared dead and his body handed to his family," Hrisikesh said. He alleged non-cooperation from IISER officials. "We could not get information on the accused due to lack of cooperation from IISER, an act that raises concerns that they might be trying to suppress the matter," he alleged. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
SC seeks Centre's response on plea alleging apathy towards persons with autistic spectrum disorders
The Supreme Court on Friday (August 8, 2025) asked the Union government to respond to a petition alleging institutional apathy in maintaining welfare of persons with autistic spectrum disorders. A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Viswanathan was told by the counsel appearing for the NGO, Action for Autism, that systemic apathy in the implementation of laws meant for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, etc., has chronically deprived them opportunities to be self-reliant and part of the mainstream society. 'Some of these people are gifted. But in conditions like Asperger's syndrome, they face difficulties with social interactions,' the counsel briefed the court. Travel hurdles The NGO's lawyer said it was extremely hard for persons with autism and neurodivergent conditions to travel. Institutionalised changes need to be made to provide orientation to airlines' crew, staff at airports, railway stations and metro services, and sensitise them to the problems faced by such persons. 'We seek to draw the urgent attention to the persistent neglect, institutional apathy and failure in upholding the constitutional, statutory and international obligation towards individuals with neurodivergent conditions like autism, dyslexia,' the counsel submitted. The court issued notice to the Centre and posted the case on August 29 for hearing the government's response to the plea.
Metro
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Coronation Street star Kimberly Hart-Simpson shares diagnosis
Former Coronation Street star Kimberly Hart-Simpson, best known to soap fans as sex worker Nicky Wheatley, shared her ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) diagnosis on her Instagram yesterday. Nicky wrote that she was diagnosed eight months ago, but decided to keep quiet, initially wanting to 'untangle 38 years worth of WTF' and because the internet can be 'very, very harsh'. She further explained: 'I come from a generation where this wasn't really an open conversation or a comfortable label. 'So when i found out I did the classic reaction of run a marathon / go to Thailand on your own / start a million new side projects. I would say running was the most exposing time for me – but also gave me the space to really understand myself.' Contemplating her future following her diagnosis, Kimberly said: 'I am actually happy I have received the diagnosis I did, it's helpful for me. I am not sure what I will do with the knowledge just yet… I mean I haven't just developed it, I have clearly had it all my life, but I have only just admitted it, so its going to be a process.' Kimberly's post was flooded with comments of support. Former Corrie co-stars Bhavna Limbachia, who played Rana Habeeb, left a string of heart emoji's, while Jack James Ryan, known to fans as Jacob Hay, followed suit with some heart emoji's of his own. One fan commented: 'I got diagnosed at 38 years too. It was a 'who am I' moment too'. NHS describes ADHD as 'a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating, and may act on impulse.' Is it often diagnosed in childhood, but in some cases isn't recognised until adulthood. 'Research has also identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD when compared with those without the condition. For children, treatments include 'appropriate educational support, advice and support for parents and affected children, alongside medicine, if necessary.' For adults, 'medicine is often the first treatment offered, although psychological therapies may also help.' Another added: 'I found out in school that I have ADD and Asperger's, although it doesn't define my life it did help me find out why I acted certain ways that were deemed strange to others. Definitely a good thing to be diagnosed with it. I think you will have a much easier time now that you have found out.' 'Mate, it took me about 6 months or so for my diagnosis to settle in with me too. That was 6 years ago, almost, and l'm so glad 1 got my diagnosis and find it helpful just knowing. Loads of love xx' said another fan. Kimberly's Corrie character Nicky was initially introduced as an escort, employed by Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) as he struggled to process his the loss of his wife Sinead Tinker's (Katie McGlynn) following her battle with cervical cancer. Daniel began paying Nicky to dress in his late wife's clothes as he wrestled with his grief, leading to a complex relationship between the two. Nicky later left Weatherfield to start a new life with her daughter, with Daniel's support, though returned to help Daniel once again regarding the Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) missing persons case. Prior to her stint on the cobbles, Kimberly had appeared in Hollyoaks as both Davina, a firefighter, and Beverly, a landlord. More Trending Following Nicky's departure from the Street, Kimberly appeared on E4's Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion and had a role on Brassic as Andrea. She also launched her own clothing company, Hart-Work, and designed a rainbow themed dress for Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis, known better to soap fans as Tegan Lomax, for the British Soap Awards. View More » She later came out as pansexual and announced her pride in creating the piece to represent the LGBTQ+ community. MORE: New Coronation Street romance confirmed – but tears will follow MORE: My wife ended her life seven months after we got married MORE: All Coronation Street spoiler videos for next week as one couple gets set to tie the knot
