Death of Arunachal student in Keralam: student protest called off as college management accepts demands

The student agitation at the Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), Kothamangalam, following the death of a 20-year-old BTech student from Arunachal Pradesh was called off on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) after the management agreed to set up an internal inquiry into the incident and accepted the other demands raised by the protesters.

A tense situation had prevailed on the campus from the morning as the students stopped management representatives and teachers from entering the campus. The situation eased after the management agreed to hold talks with the representatives of students and leadership of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) to resolve the deadlock.

Michi Marpu, a third-year student of the Department of Civil Engineering, was found dead at his rented residence on August 15. A section of students had alleged that he was distressed over the year-back system in the college, which mandated that only students who score 22 credits in the fourth semester would be allowed to proceed to the next semester.

The protesting students had pointed out that the minimum credit requirement for continuing studies at other engineering colleges affiliated to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) was only 18.

Management’s assurance

Following the protest, the management announced that the minimum credit requirement for registration to the fifth semester will be in accordance with the regulations of the KTU and government orders. Students who could not register for the fifth semester due to the minimum credit requirement will be permitted to attend classes. The ‘Save-a-Year’ examination fee has been revised and fixed at ₹1,000. The management also agreed to provide financial assistance to the family of the deceased after holding discussions with them.

The student protesters said the internal inquiry committee, which included representatives of the management, teachers and students, will submit its report within a week. The follow-up action, if any, will be taken based on the committee’s findings. The head of the Department of Civil Engineering and the KTU co-ordinator of the college will stay away from their duties, till the inquiry is completed, they said.