Jyoti Sharma, a dental student at Sharda University, died by suicide after allegedly facing mental harassment from two faculty members Dr. Shairy Vashist and Dr. Mahendra Chauhan.
In her suicide note, Jyoti wrote, “They mentally harassed me. They humiliated me. I have been under stress because of them for a long time. I’m sorry. I can’t live like this anymore.”
A week before her death, Jyoti was accused of forging a faculty signature on an assignment. She denied the charge. Her father even met university officials, who assured him she wouldn’t be targeted further.
But things didn’t improve. The very next day, one of the teachers reportedly mocked her in front of others, saying, “She is an expert in doing signatures,” and threatened to fail her in exams.
This tragic incident has once again raised serious questions about the toxic culture in many educational institutions, where shame is used as a tool to discipline students.
Teachers are expected to be mentors. Their job is to teach, assess, and guide not humiliate. When rules are broken, there are proper disciplinary procedures. Humiliation and fear should never be a part of the process.
These students are not criminals. They are young people some mentally strong, some fragile all trying to build a future. Constant humiliation can break them beyond repair.
What do teachers gain by mentally tormenting their own students? When will institutions realize that emotional safety is just as important as academic performance?
Jyoti’s death isn’t just a personal tragedy it’s a reflection of a broken system. The authorities must act. Not just to punish, but to change how students are treated in the name of discipline.
