Hamirpur Polytechnic Student Sarvesh Sharma Critical After Hostel Fall; iDEX Drone Grant Claim Debunked

Sarvesh Sharma, a Hamirpur polytechnic student who was previously linked in media reports to a reported Rs 3.5 crore defence drone project, remains critically injured after falling from a hostel building on 28 October 2026. He has been prepared for referral to PGIMER Chandigarh as doctors continue treatment at Hamirpur.

The incident took place on the afternoon of Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at the hostel of Government Polytechnic College, Hamirpur (Baru), in Himachal Pradesh. Local reports differ on the floor from which Sharma fell, with most saying it was the third floor, while some accounts mention the second floor. Preliminary reports have suggested that dizziness may have caused him to lose balance, but police have not confirmed the circumstances and are examining all possible angles. No official finding has yet been reached on whether the fall was accidental or otherwise.

Sharma suffered serious injuries, including a fractured leg and trauma to the jaw and neck, according to local reporting. He was taken to the casualty ward of Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, where treatment is underway. Medical Superintendent Dr. Deshraj Sharma confirmed that the state government has directed free medical care for the injured student.

By the evening of 28 October, local reports said his condition remained critical and that arrangements were being made to move him to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, for advanced treatment. However, there was no confirmation that the transfer had actually taken place at the time of the latest available information.

Police in Hamirpur have registered the matter and launched an investigation. Superintendent of Police Balbir Thakur and local officers have said that all aspects of the fall are under review, while official confirmation of the exact sequence of events was still pending when the case was first reported.

Background on the student and the drone claim

Sarvesh Sharma is from Bahanvi village in Hamirpur district and is the son of a daily-wage labourer. In September 2026, several media outlets reported that he had secured a Rs 3.5 crore grant under the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme to develop an indigenous surveillance drone called Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra) for the Indian Army.

Those reports said the drone was intended for high-altitude border deployment and was claimed to have features that would reduce radar detection and resist jamming. Sharma was also reported to have built a low-cost prototype for about Rs 87,000 after his team finished fourth in a national-level drone competition organised by IIT Jodhpur and the Konark Corps, an achievement that reportedly earned the team a Rs 10 lakh prize. Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta publicly felicitated Sharma around 23 September 2026.

However, on 28 October 2026, the same day as the hostel incident, the official iDEX/DIO handle issued a public clarification saying the claim that a Rs 3.5 crore iDEX grant had been sanctioned to Sarvesh Sharma for an Army drone was fake. The organisation advised people to verify such information through official sources before sharing it, and said the reports had been circulating for about two months.

The student’s earlier technical work on a low-cost drone prototype, as well as his participation in the drone competition, continues to be documented in local and national coverage, separate from the disputed grant claim.

Sharma’s condition and any possible transfer to PGIMER Chandigarh will depend on further medical updates from Hamirpur and Chandigarh. Police inquiries into the circumstances of the fall are continuing.