Stress on mental health to check suicides at IIT-Guwahati

Guwahati: IIT Guwahati has formulated a structured strategy to check suicides on the campus by tracking the mental health of students with low Cumulative Performance Index (CPI) and backloggers. The premier institution enrolled over 1,000 fresh undergraduate students in October. Suicides among students have become a rising concern at educational institutions across the country.

IIT-G has asked faculty advisers and counsellors to get in touch with the students who have performed poorly immediately after the publication of the results.

“The names of the students with low CPIs and backloggers will be shared by the academic section with the dean of student affairs and the chairperson of the welfare board. The faculty advisers and counsellors have been asked to get in touch with each student to understand his/her mental state and the reason behind the low performance,” said counsellor Namrata Naomi Rynjah. She said steps will be taken to support and mentor the students.

An internal committee headed by the associate dean of student affairs has been constituted along with the welfare board chairperson, wardens and student representatives to interact with the students who face expulsion (provisional) on academic grounds. The committee provides recommendations to the dean on the kind of support the student needs to overcome these challenges. Based on the recommendation of the committee appropriate help, including counselling, English language support and subject support will be provided to motivate the students.

Immediately after the admission of BTech and BDes students in October, the well-being centre organised counselling sessions focusing on suicide prevention. Debriefing sessions are being held in all the hostels. Counsellors are addressing the queries and concerns to help them cope.

Further, the well-being centre of the institute, supported by an online counselling service called yourdost.com developed by an IIT-G alumni has been offering 24X7 service and is available to the entire IIT-G community.

Every fresher during registration filled up a detailed declaration form. “The students who have an issue with mental health are being supported by the counsellors,” said a source.