<p>Amid student anger over the removal of ceiling fans in hostels as part of suicide-prevention measures on campus, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) said that the move had been recommended by experts. </p>.<p>In a statement, the premier institute said that the measures being taken "are based on recommendations that have been made to us by mental health experts. One of these recommendations is to restrict access to any means of self-harm on the campus, which includes changing the current ceiling fans in hostel rooms." </p>.<p>The institute added that another initiative "was to have counsellors call individual students on campus to inquire about their well-being and this exercise has already been completed." </p>.<p>The institute which <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/students-say-iisc-removing-fans-to-prevent-suicides-1061221.html" target="_blank">has begun replacing ceiling fans with wall fans</a> in all hostels is expected to complete the work by January. The administration said that the move was part of "proactive steps to promote the psychological well-being of the IISc community". </p>.<p>The primary priority is "to help our students and staff cope with these pressures, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the situation," the institute added. </p>.<p>Although the institute has made improvements to its mental support platforms, including arranging awareness sessions, invited talks, workshops and seminars related to mental health and wellness, plus setting up a wellness committee in each department comprising two faculty members and two students who can be reached out to, students said these efforts were not enough. </p>.<p>"IISc is not addressing the core problems leading to mental health problems, such as toxic work culture and mental harassment. If the administration tackled this, the scale of the problem would come down," one student told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>. </p>.<p>The institute's suicide rate in 2021 has been higher than the national average. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India’s suicide rate per 1 lakh of the population is 12.9. With four suicides in 2021 within a student body population of about 4,700, the institute’s rate is nearly 85 per 1 lakh population. </p>.<p>"We are cognizant of and deeply concerned about the increasing academic pressures on our student community and the resulting impact on their mental health. Our primary priority is to help our students and staff cope with these pressures, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the situation," the institute said. </p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>
<p>Amid student anger over the removal of ceiling fans in hostels as part of suicide-prevention measures on campus, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) said that the move had been recommended by experts. </p>.<p>In a statement, the premier institute said that the measures being taken "are based on recommendations that have been made to us by mental health experts. One of these recommendations is to restrict access to any means of self-harm on the campus, which includes changing the current ceiling fans in hostel rooms." </p>.<p>The institute added that another initiative "was to have counsellors call individual students on campus to inquire about their well-being and this exercise has already been completed." </p>.<p>The institute which <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/students-say-iisc-removing-fans-to-prevent-suicides-1061221.html" target="_blank">has begun replacing ceiling fans with wall fans</a> in all hostels is expected to complete the work by January. The administration said that the move was part of "proactive steps to promote the psychological well-being of the IISc community". </p>.<p>The primary priority is "to help our students and staff cope with these pressures, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the situation," the institute added. </p>.<p>Although the institute has made improvements to its mental support platforms, including arranging awareness sessions, invited talks, workshops and seminars related to mental health and wellness, plus setting up a wellness committee in each department comprising two faculty members and two students who can be reached out to, students said these efforts were not enough. </p>.<p>"IISc is not addressing the core problems leading to mental health problems, such as toxic work culture and mental harassment. If the administration tackled this, the scale of the problem would come down," one student told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>. </p>.<p>The institute's suicide rate in 2021 has been higher than the national average. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India’s suicide rate per 1 lakh of the population is 12.9. With four suicides in 2021 within a student body population of about 4,700, the institute’s rate is nearly 85 per 1 lakh population. </p>.<p>"We are cognizant of and deeply concerned about the increasing academic pressures on our student community and the resulting impact on their mental health. Our primary priority is to help our students and staff cope with these pressures, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the situation," the institute said. </p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>
