One of their key goals, outlined in a memorandum, is a thorough campus-wide mental health investigation to identify the underlying causes of these problems. While the institution claims to have wellness programmes to help students’ mental health, the widespread consensus is that these efforts are insufficient to prevent future tragedies of this nature.
u201cThere are deep-rooted structural issues in the institutions. It is not just here but across IITs. There is academic stress and also students are getting ostracised, alienated on social issues like caste, class, gender. There are student-advisor relationship issues and harassment that one faces,u201d a research student said.
When ThePrint emailed the IIT-Madras administration regarding the students’ claims, the administration responded with a statement. u201cThe Institute endeavours and assures to improve and sustain the well-being of the students/scholars, faculty and staff on campus while constantly evaluating the various support systems in place,u201d the note said.
An IIT-Madras representative said that details would be released after consulting with the authorities in response to specific questions. If and when a response is obtained, this report will be updated. Steven Sunny, according to the authorities, was discovered hanged in his dorm room. A handwritten message was also found inside, although its meaning has not yet been determined. To gather information for the case, forensic specialists are attempting to access Sunny’s laptop.
The other student, a Karnataka native who was saved by his pals, is receiving medical care in a for-profit facility.The aforementioned research student stated that it is unsettling how campus life seems to resume as normal after a death. In the Tapti hostel, a student committed suicide. When he remembered the tragedy that occurred a few months ago, he stated, We had gone there for an event and it was completely normal (before it happened).
Source: NDTV
Having at least one student commit suicide on campus each semester has become commonplace. Another youngster told ThePrint, It’s distressing.34 student deaths recorded from IIT campuses between 2014 and 2021 were reported, the Union government notified Parliament in 2021. In the same report, it was mentioned that five students were from Scheduled Castes and 13 from Other Backward Classes. A student from a disadvantaged neighbourhood studying at the IIT Mumbai committed suicide just last Sunday by leaping from the seventh story of a dormitory on the Powai campus. Student Darshan Solanki’s family claimed that he was being shunned because of his caste.
Meanwhile, a different research participant told ThePrint that Sunday’s attempted suicides and Steven Sunny’s passing weren’t made public to students until Monday night. As a show of unity, we chose to stage a flash protest. Students were calmed down by the Office of the Chairman Council of Wardens and Hostel Management (CCW), the Dean of Students, the Registrar, and the Security Department. Yet we needed solutions. ThePrint was informed by another research student that we wanted to meet the Director and highlight our concern.
IIT-Madras director Kamakoti Veezhinathan met with the students on Tuesday morning and announced that a town hall meeting would be held in 10 days. As a result, the protest was called off. The IIT-Madras students submitted ten demands in their memorandum that they believe should be discussed during the town hall. More opportunities for UG/PG students to participate in co-curricular activities, research scholar guidance, addressing the professor-student relationship, and discussion of the strict rule of 85% attendance are among the other issues that need to be addressed in the hostels. Other issues include wardens visiting the hostel and hostel councillors on a regular basis.
IIT-Madras has already created a Wellness Community Center and the MITR and SAATHI platforms to promote the wellbeing of students on campus. Students can get counselling and emotional assistance from licenced mental health specialists at the Wellness Center. For the benefit of students, SAATHI organises a number of mental health-related events every year. The IIT-Madras website states that respected lecturers and trainers are invited for presentations and skill development sessions. The MITR, made up of faculty and fellow students, offers peer counselling to students in need and works with several organisations in the IIT-Madras community.
A student remarked, Wellness Center is there, but it is not very successful, as is evident from incidents like these. In 2019, the Student Legislative Council adopted a resolution calling for an outside committee made up of professionals from various professions to conduct an appropriate study on mental health. The government has not yet completed this. Its neglect is evident in this. According to the student, there have been a number of suicides on campus since the 2019 resolution.
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