Jadavpur University Student Drowns in Campus Lake

A third-year female student of Jadavpur University in Kolkata tragically drowned in a lake on the university campus on the night of September 11, 2025. The student, an English department undergraduate, was found unconscious in the water near the UG Arts building around 10:30 PM during a cultural festival called Baul Mela, which was being organized by students at that time. She was quickly pulled out of the water by security staff and some students, but despite being rushed to a nearby private medical college and hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. The university authorities have not disclosed her identity due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death, and a formal investigation, including a postmortem examination, has been initiated by the police.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and security measures on the university campus. Many have pointed out the lack of CCTV cameras, which makes it difficult to ascertain what exactly happened leading up to the drowning. The pond where the student’s body was found is located near Gate 4 of the campus, a spot that currently seems to lack adequate supervision and safety measures.

This tragic episode comes amid heightened sensitivities around student safety at Jadavpur University, following previous incidents of student deaths linked to ragging and other campus issues. For example, two years ago, a first-year Bengali honours student died after falling from a balcony following ragging by seniors. This earlier tragedy led to widespread protests, arrests, and calls for stronger university governance and student protections. The recent drowning incident is renewing calls from various student groups and campus organizations for better safety protocols, including better monitoring of events, restrictions on late-night activities near risky areas such as ponds, and transparency in addressing students' concerns about campus security.

One significant point is that the drowning occurred during a cultural festival evening, which raises questions about event management and safety arrangements during such campus gatherings. Student groups from the ruling Trinamool Congress's student wing have demanded the release of CCTV footage and have expressed concerns about possible alcohol consumption taking place during the event on university premises. These claims, while unconfirmed, have added to the debate around campus discipline and control.

Experts and student welfare activists suggest that universities with large, open campuses having water bodies should consider multiple layered safety measures—better lighting, CCTV surveillance, adequate security personnel, and clear safety guidelines for students. They also emphasize the importance of mental health support and accident prevention education for students, especially when large social and cultural events are organized on campus.

Though the incident is still under police investigation to establish the exact cause, the death highlights the vulnerabilities in campus safety infrastructure. It calls on university administrations and local authorities to prioritize creating a secure and well-monitored environment, where students feel safe during both academic and extra-curricular activities.

This unfortunate event is a solemn reminder of the fragile nature of student safety on educational campuses and the ongoing need for comprehensive measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.

The university community, while mourning the loss, awaits the investigation results, hoping for clarity and steps to ensure this does not happen again.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies