From a task force to reach out to people facing challenges, to strengthening hostel-level counseling services and mandatory health check-ups, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati has taken steps to help address mental health issues. Many initiatives have been announced. campus in the wake of the suicide of three students in the last five months.
According to the institute, it has encouraged students to have “open dialogue” and pledged support for it. “The institute has encouraged students to come forward and discuss any challenges they face. A self-reliant task force has been set up to reach out to each student and provide necessary support,” it said.
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A statement issued by the institute on Friday said: “IIT Guwahati is deeply saddened by the recent loss of student lives on our campus. The Institute has thoroughly investigated each of these cases and identified multiple factors that contributed to these tragic events. Although many of these incidents were non-academic in nature, they underscore the urgent need for enhanced support systems and preventive measures to safeguard the well-being of our students. To address these concerns, IIT Guwahati has implemented several initiatives.
policy change
AyraNews24x7 had given the news on September 19 The institution agreed to make several policy changes after the third incident led to massive student protests on campus. These include a new attendance policy, flexibility in supplementary examination schedules and online pre-registration for each semester. The decision to effect these policy level changes was to be discussed in the Senate of the institute – the highest decision-making body of any IIT for all academic purposes.
According to IIT-Guwahati officials, in addition to the existing mental health counseling resources on campus, the institute is giving priority to setting up dedicated counseling services at the hostel level. Also, it said, it has strengthened its faculty advisory system to ensure that students get timely academic guidance and support.
Following the suicides, students, during several open house sessions on campus with faculty members, had raised their concerns and the need to bridge the student-faculty gap to ensure an open and free relationship between the two. “We raised during the session that there is an urgent need to improve student-faculty relationships, which is important for a student’s development not only academically, but also as people. Students should be able to feel free to approach faculty members, talk and seek help, which can only happen if the faculty decides to bring about this change at their end,” said a final year student. Said, who didn’t want to give name.
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The student welfare board on campus is taking measures to address this concern, the student said. The IIT also said that recognizing the importance of understanding the medical history of students, it is introducing a mandatory one-time medical examination at the time of admission.
“IIT-Guwahati is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students. “By prioritizing the well-being of students and implementing these comprehensive measures, our goal is to prevent future tragedies and ensure the success of our students,” the statement said.
Following similar incidents of students taking extreme steps on campus last year, top-ranking institute IIT-Madras had also conducted medical examinations of its students. The institute found that students became deficient in Vitamin D due to not going to outdoor places like playgrounds. This prompted the institute to introduce a sports excellence admission policy and reserve additional seats for national and international level players who meet the academic eligibility criteria.
three deaths
On September 9, Bimlesh Kumar, a 21-year-old BTech student pursuing computer science and engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on the IIT-Guwahati campus. The student was a resident of Uttar Pradesh (UP). This was the third such incident on the campus this year, leading to a massive uproar, with students protesting for three consecutive days and resulting in the resignation of the Dean, Academic Affairs.
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On August 9, Soumya, a 23-year-old MTech student from UP, was found dead in her hostel room.
In April, a 20-year-old B.Tech student was found dead in his hostel room in a suspected case of suicide.
Bimlesh and Soumya were reportedly under stress due to the academic pressure associated with the strict attendance policy. This is despite Bimlesh’s family saying that their son was unwell and had submitted a medical certificate for his poor attendance.
Disclaimer:Disclaimer: Suicide Helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooz (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratiksha (K Ochi) 04 8 -42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
