New Delhi, Sept. 22 -- NCP SP leader Anish Gawande cited grim statistics regarding student suicides across the country, following the alleged suicide of IIT-Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, saying that the death by suicide cases have now outnumbered farmer suicides.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Gawande slammed the response of IIT Bombay to replace hostel ceiling fans with wall fans as a safety measure, questioning the approach of premier institutions toward student welfare.

"It is absurd that we have reduced student suicides in this country to a joke. After the death of a young student in IIT Bombay, what was the institution's response? Replace ceiling fans with wall fans. Is that going to solve the problem?" he asked.

He noted that...