Ex-NITI Aayog Employee, Pursuing PhD In London, Dies In Freak Accident

A 33-year-old Indian student was run over by a truck while cycling back to her London home last week. Cheistha Kochhar, who had earlier worked with the public policy think-thank NITI Aayog, was pursuing her PhD at the London School of Economics.

Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, shared the news of her death in an online post.

"Cheistha Kochar 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," wrote Mr Kant on X.

Kochhar was hit by a garbage truck on March 19. Her husband, Prashant, was ahead of her when the accident occurred and rushed to her rescue. She died on the spot.

Her father Lt Gen SP Kochhar (retired), who is in London to collect her body, shared a link on LinkedIn to post testimonials and memories with her.

"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 devasted us and her large circle of friends," he wrote.

Cheistha Kochhar, who earlier lived in Gurugram, moved to London last September to pursue a PhD in organizational behaviour management at the London School of Economics. She earlier studied at Delhi University, Ashoka University, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago. 

She was a senior advisor at the National Behavioural Insights Unit of India at NITI Aayog during 2021-23, according to her LinkedIn profile.