IIT BHU To Conduct Drug Tests For Newly Admitted Students, Forms Nine-Member Panel

Last Updated:October 12, 2026, 11:56 IST

IIT BHU has formed a nine-member committee to oversee urine-based drug testing of newly admitted students following a Ministry of Education directive.

According to the ministry guidelines, IIT BHU students must provide consent before undergoing urine-based drug tests. (File Photo)

IIT (BHU), Varanasi, has formed a nine-member committee to oversee urine-based drug testing for newly enrolled students, following a directive from the Union Ministry of Education. The testing will cover students admitted to B.Tech, M.Tech, Integrated Dual Degree (IDD) and PhD programmes.

According to a report by Live Hindustan, this is the first time IIT BHU has constituted a committee for the purpose. The order was issued by the institute’s Deputy Registrar (Administration) on Saturday. The committee comprises faculty members and doctors from IIT BHU and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

The nine-member committee will be chaired by Professor Rajesh Kumar, Dean of Student Welfare. Other members include Professor Devendra Singh, Professor Medha Jha, Professor Abhishek Kumar Srivastava, Dr Ajit Kumar Mishra, Professor Kiran Giri from the Department of Pharmacology at IMS BHU, Dr Deepa Rani from the Department of Pathology, Professor Kamlesh Palundurkar, Head of the Department of Biochemistry at BHU, and Tushar Kumar.

The committee will oversee the implementation of urine-based drug testing in accordance with the Ministry of Education’s directions to higher educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs.

Student consent is a key requirement under the proposed testing process. According to the reported ministry guidelines, students must provide consent before undergoing urine-based drug tests.

The available reports do not specify the testing schedule, detailed procedures or the action to be taken if a test detects substance use. Further implementation details are also awaited.

IIT BHU admits students across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes every year. According to reports, the institute enrols around 1,500 students in B.Tech and Integrated Dual Degree programmes, around 400 in M.Tech and M.Pharm programmes, and approximately 300 PhD scholars.

The initiative is intended to strengthen efforts to address drug abuse among students in higher educational institutions. The scope of implementation and its eventual impact will depend on the detailed procedures adopted by the institute.

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Which students at IIT BHU will be subject to the new drug testing mandate?

The urine-based drug testing will cover newly enrolled students admitted to B.Tech, M.Tech, Integrated Dual Degree (IDD), and PhD programs at IIT BHU.

Who is heading the nine-member committee formed to oversee the drug tests at IIT BHU?

The nine-member committee is chaired by Professor Rajesh Kumar, who serves as the Dean of Student Welfare at IIT BHU.

Is student consent required before undergoing the urine-based drug test at IIT BHU?

Yes, student consent is a key requirement under the proposed Ministry of Education guidelines, meaning students must provide consent before undergoing the test.

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