An 18-year-old student of Delhi University’s St Stephen’s College has died of the coronavirus disease at a private hospital in Rajasthan, PTI reported on Thursday. Satyam Jha was a first-year student of history at the university.

Jha was a member of the college’s Gandhi Ambedkar Study Circle, debating society and the organising committee of the Students’ Federation of India unit.

“He succumbed to the disease on Tuesday after being on ventilator for eight days,” the SFI said.

Grief-stricken and angry, St Stephen’s College Principal John Varghese wrote a note – “From Pandemic to Panacea” – on the college website after Jha’s death.

“The pandemic has brought the world to its knees,” Varghese said. “The second wave of the pandemic has been heartless in its ruthless rampaging through our country exposing our hollow claims of being prepared, of being one of the largest producer of pharmaceutical products in the world, of even being a civilisation that places value on the higher things in life. But if life itself is gone, then wither all these claims?”

The principal said Jha was looking forward to life, expectantly. “The claims of belligerent and blind leaders who are immune to the suffering and deaths of simple people also show that we are veering off dangerously to becoming a cruel and insensitive race,” the note added. “How do all those claims of power and importance matter before the death of a loved one? Nothing.”

India on Friday reported 1,86,364 new coronavirus infections during the previous 24 hours, the lowest daily rise since April 14, while deaths rose by 3,660. The country now has 2,75,55,457 total cases since the pandemic first broke out in January 2020. The toll stood at 31,88,95, the health ministry data showed.

St Stephen’s does not encourage politics on campus, says principal

After writing the note “From Pandemic to Panacea”, the principal on Friday clarified that St Stephen’s College neither recognises any political body nor encourages politics on the campus.

In a statement, Varghese said that a section of media has chosen to selectively report his note, adding that he is deeply saddened by their “divisive, mischievous and irresponsible nature”.

The principal said that common sense calls for treating any communication in its entirety, paying full attention to the context in which it was made. “Selective versions, truncated reports and modified communications may be read and treated with caution,” he said in the statement. “The general public and all concerned are cautioned to use the College website and notices therein as the only authentic and official communication of the college.”