Archive · 23 Sep 2026
BIT Mesra Replaces Hostel Fans With Anti-Suicide Rods
BIT Mesra is changing the ceiling fans in its hostels to make them safer.
The new fans have special rods attached to them.
If too much weight or pressure is placed on a fan, it is designed to come down.
This is intended to help prevent suicides involving ceiling fans.
The decision came after an engineering student was found hanging from a fan on September 19.
The institute says the work is part of its focus on student well-being.
The new fans will be installed gradually.
The first-year students’ hostels will receive them first, followed by the other hostels.
BIT Mesra is replacing conventional ceiling fans in its hostels with models fitted with anti-suicide rods.
The rods are designed to make the fan come down when load or pressure exceeds a prescribed limit.
The move follows the September 19 death of an engineering student found hanging from a hostel-room ceiling fan.
Installation will take place in phases across all 14 hostels on the campus.
The rollout will begin in hostels used by first-year students as a student-safety measure.
- Who
- Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, and its hostel residents.
- What
- The institute is replacing conventional ceiling fans with fans fitted with anti-suicide rods.
- When
- The announcement was reported on September 23; the triggering incident occurred on September 19.
- Where
- The hostels across the BIT Mesra campus in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
- Why
- To improve student safety following recent tragic incidents, including the death of an engineering student in a hostel room.
- Institute
- Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
- Location
- Ranchi, Jharkhand
- Safety feature
- Anti-suicide rods fitted to ceiling fans
- Mechanism
- The fan is designed to come down if load or pressure exceeds the prescribed limit.
- Hostels covered
- All 14 campus hostels
- Installation plan
- Phased rollout beginning with first-year students’ hostels
- Recent incident
- An engineering student was found hanging from a hostel-room ceiling fan on September 19.
