Morning walks with faculty, mandatory counselling: IIT-Guwahati's plan to prevent student suicides

New Delhi: Ice-breaking sessions for freshers during their first week on campus, morning walks with faculty members, mandatory counselling sessions and comprehensive medical check-ups, and stress escape room workshops are part of IIT-Guwahati's plan to ensure students' mental wellbeing and prevent suicides.

The measures come after the institute faced massive protests last semester following back-to-back student suicides.

According to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati Director Devendra Jalihal, the institute has chalked out a comprehensive plan to prevent suicides among students.

"We have established a dedicated mental health and counselling system in the form of a Center for Holistic Wellbeing. SAATHI Counselling Club, a part of this centre consisting of student volunteers, supports fellow students in their mental and overall wellbeing with the help of professional counsellors," he told PTI.

"We are exploring roping in retired army personnel as hostel special stewards who will routinely interact with the students to make them comfortable and share their observations with the counsellors. All of this will be done in a confidential manner and while ensuring that the students do not feel intimidated or there is no violation of their privacy," Jalihal said.

Nutritionists are also being hired to help the students with diets that can help address anxiety and stress, he added.

Faced by suicides among students, several IITs are taking different measures to address concerns over their mental health.

Perumal Alagarsamy, the dean of student affairs at IIT-Guwahati, is spearheading the mental wellbeing initiatives on campus.

"We have decided that for the first week, when the freshers arrive on campus, there will be no classes but an acclimatisation programme so they do not feel out of place. The students will be invited for morning walks with faculty members so they are able to build a rapport with each other before entering the classroom," Alagarsamy told PTI.

"The Peer Mentorship Programne aligns with this notion by assigning peer mentors to the new students. These mentors (will) play a pivotal role in providing relevant information, clearing doubts, and assisting with various challenges, serving as guiding lights for the newcomers when they feel lost," he added.

As soon as the freshers arrive on campus, an ice-breaking session will be conducted to establish a warm and inclusive atmosphere and facilitate connections, Alagarsamy explained.

"These sessions aim to raise awareness about mental health and overall wellbeing while acquainting the students with the resources and the support available through the Counselling Cell and the Center for Holistic Wellbeing," he said.

"These ice-breaking sessions will be conducted within each hostel to help expand the students' social networks, enabling them to connect with their peers through enjoyable games and activities," he added.

To help the students cope with the pressure of semester examinations, the SAATHI Counselling Club recently conducted a stress escape room workshop aimed at sharing knowledge on dealing with and manage stress and exploring entrepreneurship and career choices.

The institute has four full-time counsellors while Your Dost -- a start-up incubated at IIT-Guwahati -- has been roped in to provide round-the-clock access to the counsellors.

Mandatory interactions will be scheduled with the counsellors for all students so any early signs can be identified and mandatory comprehensive health checks conducted.

"The counselling schedule will be prepared in such a way that they do not coincide with the academic timetable. These mandatory interactions will help the students familiarise themselves with the counsellors and the counselling services available on campus," Alagarsamy said.

"This will also remove the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health concerns, emphasising that it is a perfectly acceptable and normal thing to do," he added.