Karnal, April 26 -- The National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Kurukshetra on Saturday issued suspension orders for joint registrar Gyana Ranjan Samantaray. The order issued by officiating director Brahmjit Singh, stated that during the suspension period, Gyana Ranjan will report to the office of the dean (research and consultancy). There was no mention of the reason behind the suspension order. The move comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the deaths of four students, who allegedly died by suicide on campus in the past two months, with three such cases occurring in April alone. The suicides on campus began on February 16 with the death of a 19-year-old first-semester computer science student from Telangana, followed by a student from Nuh, Haryana, on March 31. The crisis deepened on April 8 with the suicide of a third-year civil engineering student, culminating in the death of a 20-year-old second-year AI and data science student from Bihar on April 16. The suspension of the joint registrar comes a day after Vineet Joshi, secretary of the department of higher education, Union ministry of education (MoE), visited the institute to review the ongoing concerns. Joined by Tejaswini Anantkumar, chairperson of the Board of Governors at NIT, and other officials, the delegation held a meeting with institute officials and the district administration. Joshi told the media that the Union ministry has initiated an inquiry into the situation and is interacting with students and faculty to understand their concerns. "We are here to gather first-hand information. Discussions are being held with students and teachers, and hostel facilities are also being inspected," he said. When asked about student suicides, Joshi said that the local police have gathered preliminary information, and efforts will be made to ensure a healthier and more supportive environment for students on campus. On the other hand, NIT authorities have notified that all BTech final year, PG final year, and MTech first-year students can return to the institute from May 9, 2026. The institute had earlier announced holidays until further notice and asked the students to vacate their hostels. Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has also taken suo motu cognisance of a recent news report published by Hindustan Times on April 19, asking the institute director, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police for a detailed report on student suicides. Another central team is also reviewing the institute's administrative issues, following the Union ministry's order to strip the sitting director BV Ramana Reddy of his powers. The panel is examining the institute's overall functioning, including governance, academic and administrative operations, and reviewing issues of recruitment and promotion processes....