TeresaBrousseau at 17:06, 2 May 2026

2026-05-02T17:06:58Z

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{{Short description|Indian documentary series}}
{{italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
'''''The Death of Merit''''' is a four-part documentary series. The first three parts were created by the Insight Foundation, a [[Dalit]]-[[Adivasi]] student group.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Munshi |first1=Suhas |title=Help for reserved categories |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/help-for-reserved-categories/story-KWAros4m6p2zcbXxEQdAhI.html |website=Hindustan Times |date=3 June 2010 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dalit suicides in India's top colleges |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/dalit.suicides.in.indias.top.colleges/27945.htm |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=[[Christian Today]] |date=6 May 2011 |language=en}}</ref> The fourth was posted by [https://www.roundtableindia.co.in/ Round Table India]. The whole series has been edited by Gurinder Azad and team. The documentary series focuses on caste-based discrimination in the [[Higher education in India|Indian higher education system]] and the suicides of Dalit students in Indian campuses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Subrahmaniam |first=Vidya |date=2011-05-07 |title=In Dalit student suicides, the death of merit |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/In-Dalit-student-suicides-the-death-of-merit/article13881245.ece |access-date=2022-05-02 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://scroll.in/video/802029/this-tragic-documentary-series-tells-the-stories-of-dalit-students-who-were-driven-to-suicide | title=This tragic documentary series tells the stories of Dalit students who were driven to suicide | publisher=[[Scroll.in]] | date=18 January 2016 | accessdate=17 May 2022}}</ref> [[The Wire (India)|The Wire]], states that the "Death of Merit, remains one of the most crucial documentations of forms of discrimination faced by [[Bahujan]] students in university spaces."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thewire.in/caste/rohith-vemula-suicide-triggered-a-new-political-wave | title=Rohith Vemula's Suicide Triggered a New Political Wave | publisher=[[The Wire (India)]] | work=Sukanya Shantha | date=19 January 2018 | accessdate=17 May 2022}}</ref>

The videos are available on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Boopalan |first=Sunder John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pnk2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA212 |title=Memory, Grief, and Agency: A Political Theological Account of Wrongs and Rites |date=2017-09-18 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-58958-9 |pages=212 |language=en}}</ref>

== Synopsis ==
Each part focuses on a specific student who committed suicide and are based on the testimonies of their parents and family members. These interviewees posit that the suicides were a result of caste-based hostility and harassment Dalit and Adivasi students have had to suffer from the faculties, fellow students, and administration in some of the country's premier educational institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neelakantan |first=Shailaja |title=In India, Caste Discrimination Still Plagues University Campuses |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/in-india-caste-discrimination-still-plagues-university-campuses/ |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]|date=11 December 2011 }}</ref>

=== Balmukund Bharti ===
The first part of the documentary focuses on Dr. Balmukund Bharti, a final year [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery|MBBS]] student from [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences]], [[New Delhi]], who committed suicide on 3 March 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=AIIMS student kills self in hostel room |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/aiims-student-kills-self-in-hostel-room/586554/ |publisher=The Indian Express |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref> This was published in two parts on 24 April 2011 on the group's blog and documents the testimonies of parents and family members.<ref>{{cite web|title='The Death of Merit': A Documentary| date=6 May 2011 |url=http://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3408:the-death-of-merit-a-documentary&catid=119&Itemid=132|publisher=Round Table India|accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref>

=== Jaspreet Singh ===
Part two, entitled ''Dr. Jaspreet Singh: The Death of Merit – Another Documentary'', documents the testimonies of parents and family members of Dr. Jaspreet Singh, a final year MBBS student from Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, who committed suicide on 27 January 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nagarkoti |first1=Rajinder |title=GMCH suicide: Charges framed against two |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/GMCH-suicide-Charges-framed-against-two/articleshow/6334211.cms |website=The Times of India |date=19 August 2010 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dr Jaspreet Singh: The Death of Merit – Another Documentary |url=https://thedeathofmeritinindia.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/dr-jaspreet-singh-the-death-of-merit-another-documentary-2/ |website=Death of Merit |date=5 May 2011 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref>

=== Manish Kumar Guddolian ===
The third in the series is titled ''The Death of Merit: Manish Kumar (IIT Roorkee)''<ref>{{cite web|title=Documentary: The Death of Merit – Manish Kumar (IIT Roorkee)|url=https://drambedkarbooks.com/2011/07/06/documentary/|website=Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan|date=6 July 2011 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref> documents testimonies of parents and family members of Manish Kumar Guddolian, a second year student who was graduating from the Department of Computer Science & Information Technology, at [[Indian Institute of Technology]] (IIT) Roorkee, who committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of his hostel on 6 February 2011.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kunwar|first1=DS|title=Student of IIT Roorkee commits suicide|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Student-of-IIT-Roorkee-commits-suicide/articleshow/7443366.cms|website=The Times of India|date=7 February 2011 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref> This was released in two parts.

=== Ajay Sree Chandra ===
The fourth part in the series, ''The Death of Merit: Dr. V. Ajay Sree Chandra [A Documentary Film]'', focuses on Dr. Ajay Sree Chandra. Chandra committed suicide by hanging on 27 August 2007 in one of the hostel rooms in IIScl.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Azad|first=Gurinder|title=The Death of Merit – Dr. V. Ajay Sree Chandra|url=https://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8702:the-death-of-merit-dr-v-ajay-sree-chandra&catid=119:feature&Itemid=132|access-date=2021-01-06|website=Round Table India|date=26 July 2016 |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{YouTube|id=2L3y9O1HCBw&t|title=The Death Of Merit: Dr. Balmukund Bharti (Part 1)}}
* {{YouTube|id=ADXnFf_5JT4|title=The Death Of Merit: Dr. Balmukund Bharti (Part 2)}}
* {{YouTube|id=Rd9lcsy9Ty8|title=The Death of Merit- Dr. Jaspreet Singh}}
* {{YouTube|id=4SRzk8Sf32Q|title=The Death of Merit - Manish Kumar (Part 2)}}
* {{YouTube|id=m4IprmwzEZU&t|title=The Death of Merit - Dr. V. Ajay Sree Chandra}}

[[Category:Indian documentary films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about suicide]]
[[Category:Documentary films about human rights]]
[[Category:Documentary films about higher education]]
[[Category:2011 documentary films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:Documentary film series]]

Death of Merit - Revision history

TeresaBrousseau at 17:06, 2 May 2026