Student suicides: IIT-Madras launches wellness survey

CHENNAI: With four suicides in a span of two months on the campus, the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT- Madras) on Thursday launched a wellness survey to reach out to students.
The survey is being conducted by an independent agency which will get in touch with all students, staff and faculty of the institute.
"The survey will be undertaken under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM), government of Tamil Nadu. More than 30 counsellors are being deployed for this survey. The survey process involves a one-to-one conversation with a well-qualified wellness specialist assigned by the NHM," a release from the institute said.
IIT- Madras director professor V Kamakoti, who launched the survey, also started a unique initiative of ‘KushalProgram’ to bridge a close association of individual students with faculty for their wellness, it added.
"IIT-Madras is committed to work towards ensuring the wellness of all on the campus. The independent wellness survey is one of the important steps taken in this direction. I thank the NHA, Government of Tamil Nadu, for helping us in this effort," Kamakoti said.
Following sudden increase in suicides, students and research scholars demanded a mental health survey to identify vulnerable students and to provide them support. A combination of factors including academic pressure, pandemic, lack of faith in the grievance redressal systems and ineffectiveness existing support systems have been cited as main reasons for the increase in suicides and suicide attempts on the campus. Some students are also facing issues including gender and caste discrimination.
The institute has also launched a ‘Be Happy’ website - https://behappy.iitm.ac.in/- to engage with the students.
Earlier, IIT-Madras formed a five-member inquiry panel headed by former DGP G Thilakavathi to probe the March 31 suicide of research scholar Sachin Kumar Jain. Students had protested on the campus alleging that harassment of faculty member had led to the suicide.