IIT Kharagpur on Saturday said that it has constituted a 10-member committee to look into ways to ensure the well-being of students in the campus.
The committee comprising psychologists, legal experts and police professionals, educationists, counsellors, and alumni members will assess the factors (primary, secondary or tertiary) affecting the mental health and well-being of students, faculty and staff.
It will also identify the key challenges (such as inadequate resources,administrative shortfalls, academic environment, but not limited to) that hinder the resolution of mental health issues on campus, a statement said.
Further, the committee members will take stock of initiatives that are in place to address such issues and to recommend measures that can bolster the mental health ecosystem of students, staff and faculty.
According to the authorities they aim to create and ensure a safe and supportive environment within the campus.
“This initiative underlines IIT Kharagpur’s deep commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for its entire campus community,” they said.
Meanwhile, the committee is expected to interact with all stakeholders (considering inclusive composition of the campus community) to get inputs from specific areas related to the terms of reference and is expected to submit its report within three months.
The move comes after four suicides were reported from its hostels in less than a year.
On May 4, the body of a third-year civil engineering student, Mohammad Asif Qamar, was found under mysterious circumstances in his hostel room.
On April 20 Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, was found hanging in his hostel room. The body of a third-year undergraduate student, Shaon Malik, was found in his hostel room on January 12.
In June last year, Devika Pillai, a fourth-year student of biotechnology and biochemical engineering had died by suicide. According to IIT Kharagpur authorities the institute has counsellors 24×7 hours to help students fight any stress and depression.