New Delhi: Academic pressure is inevitable at institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), but students must have access to support systems to help them cope, IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal has said.
Speaking to PTI, Agrawal said early detection of emotional distress is crucial as many students do not seek help themselves.
"Academic pressure is inevitable at an institution like an IIT, but students must have access to support systems to help them cope. There will be pressure. If we say that there should be no pressure at all, then it is wrong. Then we will lag in academics," he said.
The death of an IIT Bombay student on September 18, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on campus, had triggered protests, bringing back the spotlight on student suicides and reigniting the mental health debate.
The incident came after an IIT Delhi student died by suicide in August, leading to outrage on the campus. It was one of the several such deaths that have occurred across the premier technical institutions of the country in recent years.
Agrawal informed that IIT Kanpur has established a Centre for Mental Health and Welfare with 10 trained on-campus counsellors who regularly visit the hostels and academic departments. A senior psychiatrist has also joined the initiative.
"Early detection of emotional distress is crucial as many students do not seek help themselves. Friends, parents and hostel staff should watch for signs such as withdrawal, isolation or a student not coming for meals and alert the centre.
"The institute has also involved hostel staff, including cleaners who regularly interact with students, in identifying students who may need help. The outreach has shown results, with more students approaching counsellors this year compared to last year," he said.
Asked about concerns over student suicides at IITs, Agrawal said, "There is no end to scope for improvement and institutions must continuously strengthen their systems."
"Whenever there is an incident, it is necessary to analyse it properly and identify the shortcomings in our processes and resolve those shortcomings," he said.
Referring to the recent death of an IIT Bombay student, the director said institutions must address the immediate situation after such incidents, including anger and fear among students, while also examining the underlying causes.
"Even when institutional processes are sound, there could be lapses in following them, making it important to examine every incident and strengthen implementation," he said.
Agrawal urged students, parents and teachers to remember that pressures faced during student life are temporary and can be overcome.
"The problem may seem very big at that time, but in reality it is not that big," he said, adding that students are capable of facing and overcoming such pressures.
With inputs of PTI