Indian PhD Student Dies In Accident In London

A 33-year-old Indian student tragically lost her life in a road accident last week while cycling back to her residence in London. Cheistha Kochhar, formerly associated with the public policy think tank NITI Aayog, was pursuing her PhD at the London School of Economics.

Former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, shared the sorrowful news of her passing in an online post. He wrote, “Cheistha Kochhar worked with me on the #LIFE programme in @NITIAayog. She was in the #Nudge unit and had gone to do her Ph.D in behavioural science at #LSE. Passed away in a terrible traffic incident while cycling in London. She was bright, brilliant & brave and always full of life. Gone away too early. RIP.”

Kochhar was struck by a garbage truck on March 19 while cycling, with her husband, Prashant, nearby. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Her father, Lt Gen SP Kochhar (retired), currently in London to repatriate her remains, posted a link on LinkedIn inviting testimonials and memories of his daughter. He wrote, “I am still in London trying to collect the remains of my daughter, Cheistha Kochhar. She was run over by a truck on 19 Mar while cycling back from LSE, where she was doing her PhD. It has devastated us and her large circle of friends.”

Having previously resided in Gurugram, Kochhar relocated to London in September to pursue her PhD in organizational behaviour management at the London School of Economics. Her educational journey included stints at Delhi University, Ashoka University, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she served as a senior advisor at India’s National Behavioural Insights Unit at NITI Aayog from 2021 to 2023.