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Thursday, September 15, 2022

 Updated: 11th September 2022 10:40 AM

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death, murder,suicide

Representational Image. (File Photo)
By Renuka Kalpana
Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Indian Institute of Technology- Hyderabad on Saturday expressed astonishment over the death of two of its students by suicide, within a week. While Rahul Bingumalla was found hanging in his hostel room on August 30, Megh Kapoor jumped from a hotel on September 7 in Vijayawada where he was staying for the last two months.




A letter by IIT-H stated that Rahul, an MTech student, was at the beginning of the project and had about 10 months to complete it. “There is no need for him to feel the pressure,” the letter said. Megh, who had completed the tenure of BTech was not doing well academically during the pandemic. In the last one year, once the Covid restrictions were eased, the department started helping him significantly, and the student started getting very good SGPA of 7.5 and 8.3, respectively, the letter said.

The IIT-H runs a ‘Sunshine’ programme to identify students who appear to have difficulties and bring them to the notice of the counsellors, who then take over to help the students. There are three permanent counsellors employed by the IIT-H who stay on campus.

The institution explained that Rahul never showed any signs of depression while Megh started attending counselling sessions which he did not continue. The IIT-H assured that it has been trying its best to support students facing academic difficulties. “The faculty advisers are constantly in touch with the students, particularly those who are not doing very well,” the letter said.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

IIT K and IIT HYD Suicides in 2 days


2 Deaths By Suicide Reported From Hyderabad, Kanpur IITs In 2 Days - NDTV.com

NDTV.com
New Delhi: Deaths by suicide have shaken the campuses of the Indian Institute of Technology or IIT, a premier engineering institute that attracts some ...

Former student of IIT Hyderabad dies by suicide | Cities News,The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The incident takes place just days after a second year M.Tech student of IIT Hyderabad died by suicide in his hostel room on August 31.

IIT-Hyderabad student ends life by suicide - Deccan Chronicle
Deccan Chronicle
HYDERABAD: A 23-year-old IIT-Hyderabad student allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday at a lodge near the institute where he was staying, ..

PhD student dies by suicide at IIT Kanpur; institute releases statement - Free Press Journal
Free Press Journal
"IIT Kanpur condoles untimely and unfortunate demise of Ph.D. student Prasant Singh. At about 8.30 pm on Sept 6, he was found hanging from his room's ..

IIT Student Suicide: IIT Kanpur scholar found dead in room, probe underway - Times Now
Times Now
On September 7, 2022, a PhD Scholar from IIT Kanpur was found dead in his hostel room. A police probe has been ordered and is underway to ...

IIT-Kanpur student ends life by suicide in hostel room - Deccan Herald
Deccan Herald
A PhD student in IIT-Kanpur ended his life by suicide on the campus, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday night when a ...


2 IIT students die by suicide in Hyderabad, Kanpur - Times of India
Times of India
India News: HYDERABAD/KANPUR : A 22-year-old student of IIT-Hyderabad (IIT-H) jumped to his death from the third floor of a lodge at Poddipalli, ..

IIT Kanpur PhD student commits suicide - Telegraph India
Telegraph India
IIT Kanpur PhD student commits suicide. Police said Prashant Singh, 32, pursuing research in mechanical engineering, was an introvert who largely ...

PhD Student at IIT Kanpur Found Dead in Hostel Room, Police Suspect Suicide - The Quint
The Quint
A PhD student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was ... The police suspect that the student, Prashant Singh, had died by suicide.

IIT-Hyderabad passout ends life by jumping from lodge in Telangana's Sangareddy
India Today
He had recently passed out from IIT-Hyderabad. He was found dead at a lodge and officials suspect that he committed suicide. The police are probing as ...

IIT-Hyderabad student commits suicide, jumps to death from lodge- The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
Police said the 23-year-old BTech student, a native of Rajasthan, had been staying at the lodge in Sangareddy town near

Another student from IIT-Hyderabad dies by suicide - News9 Live
News9 Live
Megh Kapoor, who belongs to Jodhpur, Rajasthan, completed his B.Tech at IIT-Hyderabad three months ag

UP: IIT-Kanpur ssuicide in hostel room - The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
Singh, a student with outstanding academic qualifications, enrolled in IIT-Kanpur in 2019 to work for his master's degree before deciding to enrol ...

IIT Kanpur student found dead in hostel room - ANI News
ANI News
While condoling his death, the institute lost a talented student and aspiring scientist, the statement added. (ANI) ... suicide in iit kanpur.

IIT Kanpur Student Dies by Suicide Institute Releases Statement - India.com
India.com
IIT Kanpur student dies by suicide. The deceased has been identified as Prashant Singh. Police said that Singh was pursuing PhD in mechanical ...

IIT Hyderabad graduate commits suicide - Lokmat English
Lokmat English
Hyderabad, Sep 7 A student who recently graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H) has allegedly committed suicide in ...

IIT Hyderabad graduate commits suicide - Daijiworld.com
Daijiworld
The 22-year-old victim, a native of Rajasthan, allegedly jumped to death from a lodge in Sangareddy town, near the IIT-H campus at Kandi.

IIT Kanpur student commits suicide inside hostel, body found hanging | NewsTrack English 1
News Track Live, NewsTrack
Kanpur: A student of an IIT institute in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, committed suicide in his hostel room on Tuesday (September 6) night. The dec.

Two more IIT students die by suicide; third incident in two weeks - Edexlive
Edexlive
Another student, a 23-year-old, from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday, September 7, ...

32-year-old PhD student at IIT-Kanpur student dies by suicide in hostel room - Newsdrum
Newsdrum
A 32-year-old PhD student at IIT-Kanpur allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room, police said on Wednesday. Prashant Singh, who was pursuing ...



A PhD student at IIT Kanpur has committed suicide in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, police are trying to find out the reason behind the suicide.


A PhD student at IIT Kanpur has committed suicide in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, police are trying to find out the reason behind the suicide.
September 6, 2022
in Kanpur



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Praveen Mohta, Kanpur 

A case of suicide of a student has come to light in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It is being told that the student who committed suicide was a PhD student at IIT Kanpur. Prashant Singh (32), a mechanical engineering student, was a resident of Varanasi.



According to the SHO of Kalyanpur police station, the police reached the information and found the body of the student in the hospital of the institute. The body was brought down by the people of IIT. Information has been given to the family. No information could be received from the IIT administration till late night in this regard.

Tags: ii kanpur student suicideiiit student kanpur suicide newsIIT Kanpur student commits suicideIIT Kanpur suicide caseKanpur Headlineskanpur IIT student suicide casekanpur newskanpur news in hindiKanpur Policekanpur police on student suicideLatest Kanpur Newsnews about IIT kanpur student suicidesuicide case ii kanpur


31st August 2022



IIT-Hyderabad student found hanging at his hostel room on campus; suicide suspected
Times Now
The student incident may committed 'suicide' on Tuesday night, said police. ... Hyderabad: A student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), ...

IIT-Hyderabad Student Found Dead Inside Campus, Police Suspect Suicide - NDTV.com
NDTV.com
An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus, police said on Wednesday.

M.Tech student found dead at IIT Hyderabad - The Hindu
The Hindu
Reasons for the suicide are not known. (There is always someone to listen at: +914066202000 or 6666 1117 in case of any emotional breakdowns at ...

IIT-Hyderabad student dies by suicide inside campus: Police - Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus here, police said on Wednesday. (Representative Photo).

IIT Hyderabad Student Commits Suicide | Ntv - YouTube
YouTube
IIT Hyderabad Student Commits Suicide | Ntv--Watch Ntv Live Here: https://bit.ly/3oOwgrXWatch all the LIVE & Exclusive Press meets of Telangana CM ...

IIT-Hyderabad student found hanging inside campus, suicide suspected - India TV News
India TV News
IIT-Hyderabad news: The second-year MTech student allegedly ended his life by hanging in his room where only he was staying and no suicide note ...

IIT-Hyderabad student found dead on campus - India Today
India Today
A student of IIT-Hyderabad was found dead in a suspected case of suicide on the campus of the institute, police said on Wednesday.

IIT-Hyderabad student found dead on campus - Times of India
Times of India
HYDERABAD: A student of IIT-Hyderabad was found dead in a suspected case of suicide on the campus of the institute, police said on Wednesday

IIT-Hyderabad student found dead on campus - The Siasat Daily
The Siasat Daily
Hyderabad: A student of IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide on the campus of the institute, police said on ...

IIT-Hyderabad student found hanging inside campus - ThePrint
ThePrint
Hyderabad, Aug 31 (PTI) An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus here, police said on Wednesday.

IIT-Hyderabad student found dead on campus - The Week
The Week
Hyderabad, Aug 31 (PTI) A student of IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide on the campus of the institute, ...

M.Tech student of IIT-Hyderabad ends life in hostel - Telangana Today
Telangana Today
An M-Tech student of IIT-Hyderabad has committed suicide in his hostel room on Wednesday morning at the institute campus near Kandi in Sangareddy.

IIT-Hyderabad MTech student found hanging inside campus - The Federal News
The Federal News
IIT-Hyderabad student suicide No suicide note has been found, the police said. The reasons why the student took his life were not known ...

Telangana: IIT-Hyderabad student found hanging inside campus - News9 Live
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Hyderabad: An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus here, police said on Wednesday.

IIT Hyderabad student found dead on campus - News by careers360
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IIT Hyderabad second-year MTech student allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself in his room.

MTech student of IIT-Hyderabad found dead inside campus - Inshorts
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police on wednesday said an mtech student of iithyderabad was found dead in a suspected case of suicide inside the campus the second year mtech ..

IIT-Hyderabad student found hanging inside campus - Newsdrum
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An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus here, police said on Wednesday.

IIT-Hyderabad student found dead on campus - Bollyinside - Today News
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An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead on suspected suicide on the institute's campus, police said Wednesday. Police said they received the ...

Farmers protesting land acquisition in Haryana's Manesar seek 'permission' for mass suicide
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... the acquisition of 1810 acres of land in Haryana's Manesar region on Wednesday sought from the government "permission" for mass suicide.

Student of Hyderabad IIT found dead at campus - East Coast Daily English
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On the campus of IIT-Hyderabad, a student was found dead in what police believe to be a suicide case. Police said that, they recieved information ..

India News | IIT-Hyderabad Student Found Hanging Inside Campus - Latestly
Latestly
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. An IIT-Hyderabad student was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at the campus here, ...

Over 13,000 students died by suicide last year: NCRB Report 2021


Over 13,000 students died by suicide last year: NCRB Report 2021

Student suicides have risen 27% over five years, NCRB data shows. In 2021, over 1,600 suicides had “failure in examination” as reason.

Out of the 13,089 students who died by suicide last year, 7,396 were male and 5,693 were female. (Representative Image)
Sanjay | Aug 30, 2022 - 3:13 p.m. IST
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NEW DELHI: Over 13,000 students took their own lives in India last year, the latest statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB report 2021) shows. In fact, over the five years from 2016 to 2021, the number of student suicides in India has risen by 27%.

The country recorded 9,478 student suicides in 2016 which increased to 10,335 in 2019 and 13,089 in 2021 when it was 8% of all suicide cases. The total number of suicide cases rose by 20% over the same period, from 1,31,008 in 2016 to 1,64,033 in 2021.


The NCRB report titled Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2021, released on Monday, shows that most student suicides were reported from Maharashtra and that for over 1,500 suicides among youths under 30 years, the reason was “failure in examination”.

The reports over the years show that the number of suicides rose most sharply, by 7.17% , from 2020 to 2021, when it increased from 1,53,052 to 1,64,033. Over the the same period, student suicides witnessed an increase of 4%, from 12,526 to 13,089.
NCRB: Student suicides, states

The NCRB has categorised suicide data under nine profession-wise groups – students, professional or salaried persons, daily wage earner, retired persons, unemployed persons, self-employed persons, house wife, persons engaged in farming sector and other persons. The maximum number of suicide cases in 2021 were recorded among the daily wage earners, 42,004 or 25.6% of the total.

Also Read | Kerala Higher Education: More seats, deprivation points, student rights charter, suggests panel

Out of the 13,089 students who died by suicide last year, 7,396 were male and 5,693 were female. Of the students who killed themselves, 14.0% were in Maharashtra (1,834) followed by 10.0% in Madhya Pradesh (1,308), 9.5% in Tamil Nadu (1,246) and 6.5% in Karnataka (855), shows the NCRB report 2021 state wise data.

Student suicide numbers



Year

Student suicides

Percentage of total


2016

9,478

7.2


2017

9,905

7.6


2018

10,159

7.6


2019

10,335

7.4


2020

12,526

8.2


2021

13,089

8.0

Students suicide reasons and prevention

The latest NCRB report shows that a total of 1,673 persons died by suicide due to “failure in examination” in 2021 amounting to 1% of that total number of suicides. In fact, “failure in examination” is the reason behind over 1,500 suicides among young people below the age of 30 years albeit not all of them may have been students. Given below is the distribution by age.

‘Failure in examination’ as reason



Age bracket

Number of suicides


Below 18

864


18-30

714


30-45

72


45-60

20


Above 60

3


In a written reply to Parliament on April 4, 2022, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that Central Universities under the purview of education ministry have reported 24 suicide cases of students from 2017 to 2022. He said that information is provided by higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC). “The reasons of suicide by students are not maintained,” he said.

Commenting upon the steps being taken by the central government to prevent suicides by students, Pradhan listed various steps including peer assisted learning, introduction of technical education in regional languages for students in order to ease the academic stress.

Also Read | Kerala panel proposes faculty recruitment board, law to curb corruption in higher education

The NCRB report notes: “Each suicide is a personal tragedy that prematurely takes the life of an individual and has a continuing ripple effect, affecting the lives of families, friends and communities.”

If you, or anyone you know, needs help, AASRA has a list of resources here: http://www.aasra.info/helpline.html

Follow us for the latest education news on colleges and universities, admission, courses, exams, schools, research, NEP and education policies and more..

To get in touch, write to us at news@careers360.com.

Friday, July 15, 2022

Experiencing Everyday Casteism At India’s Elite IITs-Pranav Jeevan P


Pranav Jeevan P

Jul 08, 2022
Campus Watch,
Caste and Identity

Experiencing Everyday Casteism At India’s Elite IITs

Everything about the IITs screams savarna dominance, be it the names found in the list of faculties in departments, be it the kind of conversations and behaviour that is considered the norm, be it the food that is served or the art that is produced and consumed – everything caters to the dominant savarna worldview and aesthetics.

For a first-generation student without any history of academicians before in their family, to find themselves in this savarna space is a cultural shock where everything they look at and everyone they talk to makes them feel like they are in a place where they don’t belong.

IIT Delhi. Representational image.

The way caste expresses itself in elite academic spaces has changed its flavour to a more nuanced but no less lethal form of harassment. The moment a student from the SC/ST/OBC community steps into campus, they are identified and marked as unworthy based on their rank. Every classroom discussion, assignment and group project reflects this hierarchy where the opinions of students from marginalized communities are either discarded, silenced or ignored.

The entire conversation favours the more privileged students and the networks of the caste they have formed – even from the days of their coaching – which helps them become leaders, counsellors and coordinators of various clubs and activities happening on campus. The students who lack these networks fall behind.

The kind of culture of meeting people in restaurants and places where most of the network building happens is alien to Bahujan students. They also lack proper role models on campus who can lead them on the right path or even listen and understand their issues.


There is a severe lack of faculties from SC/ST/OBC communities in IITs. Being unable to relate to these savarna behaviours and values that prevail on campus, students from DBA communities suffer from a divided sense of self.

Mental health initiatives like counselling centres completely lack sensitivity or willingness to understand the needs and issues faced by students from marginalized communities. They deny caste as a social factor that can cause severe mental health issues to students who face harassment due to their caste identity.

The counsellors, who are savarnas, tend to label the mental impact of oppressive experiences as the fault of the individual student and call them irrational and over-sensitive instead of pointing to the social hierarchies which create these power relations and feelings of superiority/inferiority. Students who go to these initiatives for help soon realize that these are only there to help savarna kids cope with their academic issues and not help students who hail from unprivileged communities.

Recently, IIT Bombay started a gender cell to address issues of sexual harassment on campus. They also started an alumni-funded project Bandhu which is supposed to address the emotional well-being of students. Even though the Bandhu website shows that they understand the issues faced by identity, such as gender and sexual orientation, they completely left out caste from their purview.

The apparent ignorance is not accidental but deliberate and institutional. Most IITs do not have a functioning SC/ST students’ cell for solving the issues of SC/ST students. Even in places where they function, the cell is not provided with a physical space. This is deliberate because physical infrastructure is provided for other cells like gender cells.

Most IITs do not even have a mention of SC/ST cell on their websites. The students are unaware of the redressal mechanisms if any exists that they can avail themselves in the event of caste harassment. IIT Bombay recently started a ‘Gender in Workplace’ course, a really good initiative aimed at sensitizing the campus about sexual harassment. The issue is that similar sensitization initiatives on caste harassment are not being implemented even though there are a significant number of students who face caste-based harassment.

Even the mentorship programmes for new students completely ignore the caste sensitivity needed to address their concerns. The students who come from marginalized communities are welcomed with reservation jokes, teased about how they stole a seat of a more ‘deserving’ candidate, and how they will most probably drop out because they lack ‘merit’. They are even harassed and abused for availing of government scholarships.

In the case of scholarships, the SC/ST students are not made aware of the scholarship schemes that are available for them. The staff in the scholarship office will make the student wander around for documents and delay the process to make sure they do not meet the deadlines of submission.

Posted on Facebook by Saathi - IIT Bombay.

When the SC/ST alumni of IIT Bombay requested the institute to set up a fund for helping SC/ST students, the institute denied them permission. But when alumni or organizations want to donate to savarna students, IITs are very eager and welcoming. Yet, it is the SC/ST students who face attacks from their peers for availing of scholarships.

The most effective way to counter the Brahminical hegemony in IITs is to ensure sufficient representation of faculties from marginalized backgrounds through proper implementation of reservation. When a reservation for female candidates was implemented, the IITs supported it, claiming that the merit of a person cannot be determined by rank in an exam, and socio-cultural background has to be considered. But when we raise the same point about caste inclusion, they immediately revert to ‘merit cannot be compromised’, and exams are sacrosanct.

We need to raise the issues of everyday casteism in IITs and ensure that there is a proper representation of members from Dalit-Bahujan-Adivasi communities in these institutes. That is the only way to make these spaces safe for our students.

The article was also published at LiveWire.
This post has been self-published. Youth Ki Awaaz neither endorses, nor is responsible for the views expressed by the author.Upvote

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More from Pranav Jeevan P



IIT Bombay Student, YouTuber Eknoor Singh shares journey from cracking IIT JEE to life at IITs [Excl.

IIT Bombay Student, YouTuber Eknoor Singh shares journey from cracking IIT JEE to life at IITs [Excl.]

IIT Bombay student and YouTuber Eknoor Singh gives us a glimpse into the life at India's top engineering college. From IIT Bombay courses, to campus life to the lingo popular among IIT B students, here are some fun facts and notes on cracking IIT JEE exam. Watch the complete interview exclusively here.


Pragatti Oberoi

Updated Jul 1, 2022 | 03:11 PM IST

1IIT Bombay Student, YouTuber Eknoor Singh shares journey from cracking IIT JEE to life at IITs [Excl.]

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3NIRF India Rankings 2022 announced, check top institutes of India here in Engineering, Management, Law, etc.

4NIRF Rankings 2022 Law: National Law School of India University, Bengaluru top college for law in India

5NIRF Rankings 2022: Miranda College retains Top slot, 5 out of 10 colleges from Delhi University

Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Bombay has been a flag-bearer of the 'premier institutes tag' of the country. With the engineering exam season here, many students are aspiring to crack JEE Mains and getting into IITs. One such student was Eknoor Singh, who is now a B.Tech student at IIT Bombay but was once a JEE Main 2020 topper with 99.7 percentile. Today, Eknoor also has a YouTube channel dedicated to his life at IIT B which has over 60k subscribers.

As JEE Mains season continues, Eknoor Singh, a YouTuber, JEE Main topper, KVPY scholar, Department Academic Mentor at IIT Bombay, and a Research and Blockchain Developer – all at the age of 20, speaks to timesnownews.com exclusively and gives us a glimpse of life at IIT Bombay campus. A premier and dream come true institute that it is, IIT Bombay also emerged as the top Indian University with 177th rank in QS World University Rankings 2022.
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From IIT B courses, to the start-up culture, to cracking IIT JEE and teaching the IIT Bombay lingo on a rather lighter note, Eknoor Singh answers fundamental questions that every JEE aspirant might be faced with while aiming for IITs or a premier institute for engineering.

Why IIT Bombay? Why not any other IIT or an institute abroad?

I was always diligent with studies and when you are such a student, there is a childish enthusiasm where you want to challenge yourself with more difficult things. I first came to know about IITs when Sundar Pichai became the CEO of Google. The newspaper headline read 'IIT Graduate becomes the CEO of Google'; that's when I started finding out more about IITs and challenged myself to pursue it.

IIT Bombay is popular for all the right reasons, even QS rankings justify that (laughs). Moreover, at IIT B, there are so many opportunities for you beyond your core subjects, the social life is class apart, the festivals like Mood Indigo – all these things together motivated me to join IIT Bombay.

When you talk about IITs, IIT Bombay naturally comes to you."

- Eknoor Singh


You have a YouTube channel dedicated to IIT Bombay, which obviously speaks volumes about your love for the Institute. But I am curious – what prompted you to start it in the first place?

It goes back to the time when I was preparing to crack JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. I saw people around me who knew people in IITs, they guided them about the life there and knew the hacks of the trade. But there was no IITian with me, even though my parents were familiar with IITs, there was a need for guidance, where someone could tell me how to crack it. So that need and the joy of documenting my IIT Bombay college life – both prompted me to have my YouTube channel. The monetization became a bonus.

YouTube Channel link - Eknoor Singh [IIT Bombay] with 62.4k subscribers Check here!

IIT Bombay College Life, Credits - Eknoor Singh.

How different are the daily schedules for all Bachelor's courses at IIT Bombay? Do you all ever have classes in the evening or night?

I missed out on the on-campus classes during my First Year (FY) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But yes, at IIT B, there are night and computer lab classes. Here, at IIT Bombay, the Computer Science course is common for all departments in First Year, FY. So, in the evening/night, you have around 1,300 students together at 8 pm flooding the lab, sitting together, and working on assignments. There are also courses at IIT Bombay that have classes in the evening and sometimes, even professors tend to reschedule classes to night.

Wow, that sounds fun. Are there any research projects that you have to do as a part of your course?

As a UG student at IIT Bombay, research projects are not enforced but there is a rich variety available. You can choose to have a major and a minor subject in your course. You also have options like summer projects, research projects etc., under different professors. However, if you're a part of the dual degree program i.e, B.Tech+M.Tech, then yes, you have to do a research project.

Every Institute has some unique lingo that everyone there is familiar with. Teach us some IIT Bombay lingo today.

(Laughs) One is DOSA (Dean of Student Affairs). You approach this person when you're in trouble or there are problems with the hostel; basically, if anything happens on campus, you approach DOSA.

Next you have DAC (Disciplinary Action Committee) and it is thrown around a lot. DAC is something you are scared of, all the time at IIT Bombay. Then there is Magghu, someone who studies a lot. It is definitely not used in a derogatory way (smiles hard) as Magghus are people you approach in exam season and without them you can't pass your exams.

We also use Dassi, Nehli, Atthi like 10/10, 9/10 or 8/10. These lingos have been in use for a very long time. Seniors come, use these words and that's how they are promoting the culture. A very IIT Bombay specific word is Machaks, it means you've done extremely well in something, but you also taunt people with this word when they've done something terribly wrong. (laughs)

How is the hostel life at IIT Bombay? What are your curfew hours and how often do you all trespass on that?

We don't really have any curfew hours at IIT Bombay hostel, we can go out anytime. The curfew exists for boys going into girls' hostels and vice versa. Hostel life here at IIT B is crazy, Pragatti (laughs). It's a great place to have some of the finest conversations with people, especially your seniors.

At IIT Bombay, you have hostel-specific fests and every building is named after some mythological character, like I live in H6 and it is called Vikings, H15 is called Olympus and so on. You also have a hostel council that gets funds and they are responsible for a lot of decisions that are taken.

IT Bombay, Credits - Eknoor Singh.

3 Idiots made people laugh about the exam season in engineering colleges. Even your YouTube channel has a video on it. What is this exam season like in IIT Bombay?

Hahaha, 3 Idiots is a funny take but not inaccurate. IIT Bombay exam season means everyone is buried in books. People go underground, study rooms are flooded, people are engaged in group studies, everyone starts visiting toppers' rooms and everyone will be teaching each other.

But interestingly, studying on the last day is a real thing, it's now a part of the culture. The real panic sets in just a few hours before the exam, and honestly, it's not a bad thing. This is also how we are able to do so many other things and yet study.

I gathered from your videos that IIT Bombay serves a special lunch to everyone on Republic Day. Does it happen on other holidays as well? And what is the most talked about part of this grand meal?

When you have the mess preparing similar meals everyday, you get bored and people end up skipping them as well. Whenever there are major holidays or when there are monthly cleaning sessions and the mess closes for dinner, we tend of a special lunch then. We look forward to that as it is good food, different from what you get everyday.

IIT Bombay also has annual Hostel special dinner which we call a 'Gala Dinner.' It's as huge as a wedding and you have all sorts of stalls like a chat counter, a fire pan station and so on. Even for my channel, a Gala Dinner vlog is pending. (laughs) It's a hostel-specific dinner.

What lies ahead for an IIT Bombay pass out? Are there options for another degree, a job, or entrepreneurship?

I think we have come back to where we started, it is also what motivated me to come to IIT Bombay – the kind of paths that open up. I might be a mechanical engineer but I might just not pursue it; I might end up in entrepreneurship or a job and so on. All these things are very common at IIT Bombay. Many end up going for further studies abroad, or even for a Master's in India, many sit for placements, and many others start their own firms. At the end of the day, you have your own choices to make.

Take my case, I am in my Second Year but thanks to IIT Bombay, I've been able to be a part of three internships, one of them is a Web 3.0 startup. The kind of exposure we get, all that has been possible due to IIT Bombay.

I have seen that many pass outs from IITs tend to have their own startups. What about you? And how does IIT Bombay help one in pursuing that path?

I talked about Minors earlier, coming back to that, at IIT Bombay you get the option of choosing Entrepreneurship as your Minor. It is a professional training program. We also have a robust Entrepreneurship Cell or IIT Bombay e-Cell and it holds one of the biggest events in the entrepreneurship space in Asia. They also have many interesting events going on throughout the year.

You also have clubs like the Entrepreneurship and Business Club at IIT Bombay and these clubs are doing great; they teach people and you also get opportunities to pitch your ideas right from FY of College.

At IIT Bombay you also have an incubation centre which helps you in case you're starting a start-up. There are many people who have started their journeys from there but I'm not entirely sure of the rules. So, all that exists at IIT Bombay and if you want to pursue this even in FY, you can do that.

IIT Bombay campus, Credits Eknoor Singh.


Eknoor Singh now answers the IIT Bombay rapid fire

Best eating joint in IIT Bombay

Gullu (Gulmohar), it is a restaurant at IIT Bombay.

Best dish served in IIT Bombay campus

I love the Goan Chicken Curry served in Gullu.

Describe Mood Indigo in one word

For me, it's content, views (laughs) It gets huge traction on YouTube

Your favourite spot at the institute and why

I love hitting the gym because it's newly built and it's a great place to have equally motivated individuals around you.

One film that depicts Engineering college life in a proper manner

Chhichhore as it was shot at IIT Bombay.

One unique thing that happens on campus after college hours end

People make a herd and head to Sheeru Cafe, where they give you free drinks and free coffee. It's called Sheeru Startup Café and every day you can take 3 coffees/drinks for free.

Is there a hostel you wish you got? If yes, name it and why

Yes, it's H18 and it is new. I want it because it has bigger rooms and I need that space to set up my green screen, equipment etc., for YouTube, which is tough in old hostels.

Describe IIT Bombay in one word

That is a difficult one (smiles). I'd say 'Pyaar.'

One tip you'd give all JEE aspirants for getting into IITs

Don't stress about the JEE result. Please work hard towards it, work honestly and try to improve every day.

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

“You Are Playing The Victim” And Other Things Counsellors At IIT Tell DBA Students,


Pranav Jeevan P
Jun 28, 2022

“You Are Playing The Victim” And Other Things Counsellors At IIT Tell DBA Students

Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide, mental health issues

According to the Ministry of Education Data, from 2014-2021, the IITs recorded 34 deaths by suicides, of which 18 were from SC and OBC communities [1]. In the 2011 documentary Death of Merit, Dalit rights activist Anoop Kumar said that a significant section of those who committed suicides in the IITs between 2007 and 2011 were dalits [2].

Even the data on student dropout shows that most students belong to SC/ST/OBC categories. It is no hidden fact that students from the SC/ST community face immense harassment and discrimination on the campus from savarna students, faculties, and employees. Several students have reported cases of institutional discrimination and explicit threats from teachers in the recent past.

In April 2021, Seema Singh, a professor in the humanities and social science department of IIT Kharagpur, was heard openly hurling abuses at an English preparatory class for SC/ST students. These institutional and casual ways of casteism cause mental and psychological stress on students, and IITs do not provide any mechanisms to help them.


Even the data on student dropout shows that most students belong to SC/ST/OBC categories.

Even though many IITs have counselling and mental health services available, they are designed only to cater for the needs of savarna students. Moreover, these counsellors are not sensitised to understand the social realities of caste that affect students from SC/ST communities, rendering them inadequate to offer support or, at times, aggravating students’ troubles. Furthermore, IITs do not hire mental health experts from Dalit Bahujan Adivasi (DBA) communities as counsellors, further exacerbating the situation.

Recently, APPSC IIT Bombay have brought out an old social media post of Hima Anaredy, the head counsellor of the Student Wellness Centre (SWC) of IIT Bombay, where she is openly passing anti-reservation remarks and questioning the ‘merit’ of the students availing reservation [3]. This is the only textual public post on her Facebook page for the past seven years.

Students feel intimidated and uncomfortable talking about their mental health issues to such a person who is openly propagating casteist views against a constitutional provision for representation of underrepresented communities. It makes her incompetent to provide mental health support.

Many institute DBA students said they did not approach SWC after seeing this Facebook post. The most significant chunk of caste-based harassment students face at these elite campuses is due to the anti-reservation sentiment prevalent, and such posts by those in charge of student wellness make life miserable for DBA students.

Students allege a clear caste bias in how the SWC treats a savarna student and a DBA student. For example, one student says that when his friend who was upper caste went to see the counsellor, he was made to feel better and comfortable. Still, when he went to the same counsellor, she used the merit argument often and kept insinuating that he was not intelligent enough, even saying, “I don’t think you can handle it”.

The student started suffering from imposter syndrome after going to this counsellor. Experiences like these slowly chip away confidence, removing the sense of belongingness and making one feel inadequate, alienated and depressed.

Most students feel that the counsellors hired by IIT are neither competent nor sensitive enough to help them with their mental health issues. One student says he went to one of the counsellors for one and a half years and met her regularly every two weeks.
The student started suffering from imposter syndrome after going to this counsellor.

It started with the standard therapy, but once he opened up about insecurity about his JEE rank, she immediately responded, “I guessed that”. She ignored the other issues he had concerning his childhood, only focused on his JEE rank, and claimed that all his issues stemmed from a lack of confidence. He says that he was misdiagnosed. She was of no help and sent him to the institute clinical psychiatrist, who gave “stingy” medicines which were useless.

Another student explains the ordeal he had to undergo in his final semester, “I was under too much stress. I lost my grandfather recently and had to complete 48 credits. So one day, I called her on the phone when I was feeling too much anxiety, and she tried to calm me down. But the next day, when I met her, she started scolding me, saying, “You are playing the victim.”

I was so shocked and cried during the entire session while she just said, “I am not sorry for telling you this.” It was such a traumatic experience that it destroyed him mentally. He later took multiple sessions with two therapists outside IIT to overcome this trauma and self-doubt of “am I playing the victim”.

They even push academically strong students into depression. A student says that when the topper in his batch went to SWC to talk about his problems at home, the counsellor gave such bad suggestions that it worsened his situation. Instead of helping, these counsellors are digging the graves of DBA students.

Bandhu, an alumni-led mental health initiative in IIT Bombay, is another counselling body which lacks caste sensitisation while dealing with DBA students. Even though the Bandhu program understands how harassment due to gender and sexual orientation identities can affect mental health, they deny caste impacts a student’s mental health or wellness.

Even after constant requests from various student groups of IIT Bombay to be more caste aware, the Bandhu initiative has refused to include caste as a factor in mental health issues. It is clear that the savarna alumni of IITs only want to fund programs that cater to the needs of savarna students.

There is also a clear lack of awareness among students about various mental health issues, and many stigmas are still associated with availing of mental health services. Peers sometimes harass students for even availing of mental health support. In such an environment, insensitive, casteist and discriminatory behaviour of campus counsellors are shutting the hope of DBA students in finding good mental health services.

Mental health is still taught and practised as an illness devoid of social factors, and the onus on getting better falls solely on the individual. They function under the assumption that all mental health issues are caused not by social structures that oppress individuals but due to chemical imbalances in the brain. The oppressive social structures and power hierarchies present in our educational institutes and society are completely ignored when dealing with students’ mental health issues [4].

“We are told from day one that we are abled-bodied/able-minded humans who must at all cost work hard and propagate the myth of meritocracy. Thus, the lone student from a marginalised community who scores high is celebrated as a PR story. In contrast, reports on student suicides, particularly from marginalised communities, are ignored as depression stories. This false binary of separating depression from oppression/of suggesting multiple causes of depression shows how the State and this society are only interested in washing their hands off.” [4]Mental health is still taught and practised as an illness devoid of social factors, and the onus on getting better falls solely on the individual.

Counselling centres like the SWC and Bandhu wash off the institution’s responsibility for the harassment and discrimination faced by the students. The students who approach these services to talk about the harassment they suffer are made to believe that the issues they face are “just in their head”.

They are made to open up about other personal issues so that the focus is shifted to their individual problems rather than the institute. This becomes a convenient tool to wash off institutional responsibility in case of a suicide where the counsellors can provide a clean chit to the institute saying that the suicide was due to personal and psychological issues.

The IITs/IIMs have been brushing off suicides under the carpet for years, blaming it on the individual student as a case of depression in a “weak student” who could not “cope with the rigorous academic environment”, and these mental health services are a means to aid that process [5].

The documentary series ‘Death Of Merit’ recorded 18 Dalit student suicides between 2007-2011, along with the interviews with parents of these students[6]. It is clear from these interviews that students who faced discrimination sought psychological help and were diagnosed with depression. When the families demanded enquiry on the structural discrimination faced by these students, the institutes cited the students’ depression as evidence against families’ claims, rendering invisible the institutional violence that led to the students’ psychological distress. The practice of psychological diagnoses becomes complicit in the institutional framework that actively refuses to acknowledge caste discrimination [5].

These premier institutes clearly understood mental health when IISc replaced ceiling fans in hostels with wall-mounted fans and restricted students’ access to terraces and narrow balconies to stop suicides[7]. Similarly, IIT Madras installed a suicide prevention device in the ceiling fans to prevent suicides, as if the ceiling fans were the primary causes of suicides. [8] The actions of these self-proclaimed ‘meritorious’ people shed light on the pitiable understanding of the issue and their so-called “solutions” to address a structural issue of institutional oppression.

One of the causes of students’ depreciating mental health issues is the vitamin B12 deficiency caused by vegetarian foods [9]. The vitamin B12 found in meat sources like fish and liver far outstrip the levels found in vegetarian foods. The glorification of ‘pure’ vegetarian food and the harassment faced for eating meat can also push students to consume less vitamin B12-rich food, exacerbating the mental health issues already caused by casteist harassment and discrimination. They are not even allowed to eat their food in peace.

Only 3% of faculty in IITs come from SC/ST communities, and the lack of faculty from similar communities further adds to the woes of DBA students[10]. Moreover, the student-faculty interactions invariably favour the savarna students due to the everyday experiences shared with savarna faculties.

Even in mental health awareness programs, the role-play situations are designed to suit the savarna lifestyles, which DBA students cannot connect with. Unable to relate to the savarna experiences in the campus and classroom, students from DBA communities suffer from a divided sense of self, resulting in self-rejection and painful feelings of abandonment and exclusion [11].

Since the field of psychiatry is dominated by savarnas, they tend to label the psychological impact of oppressive experiences as the fault of individual over-sensitivity, or as irrational responses on their part, while ignoring the social hierarchies, such as caste, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or religion, that creates inequities through power relations and cause feelings of inferiority. Here the individual’s suffering becomes an “objective” point, placed outside of its caste-culture context [11].Policies should also centre psychological support around Dalit cultures of resistance to everyday casteism and violence under caste regulation.

Mental health education should be seen as an elite discipline because access to its services and resources is available mainly to the savarnas. They reject the mental health issues of people from the lower castes by subjugating them and degrading their value as individuals. The experiences of DBA remain absent from mental health discourses, intensifying their exclusion.

At the same time, the savarnas set the standards of “normality” for personality and behaviour derived from their savarna realities and sensibilities. Mental health frameworks exacerbate existing oppressions when they fail to apply principles of social justice while engaging with DBA individuals [11].

The problems faced by DBA students do not end with the implementation of affirmative action policies but in recognising that caste is experienced in everyday practices, such as segregation of living spaces, institutional support for harassment, bureaucratic labelling as “category students”, and the continual characterisation of student depression and suicide as lack of capacity in education [5].

Mental health practitioners and policymakers must recognise how current psychiatric practice and policy can harm DBA students. New confidentiality policies must allow DBA students to get care even without a diagnosis of depression as a prerequisite. Mental health policy must diversify resources to more than diagnosis and medication by recognising existing networks of care like Ambedkarite student bodies within institutes.

They can promote the therapeutic outcomes of group therapy, such as expression of psychological distress, recognition that students are not alone in their experience, reducing self-blame, and organisation for collaborative advocacy. Policies should also centre psychological support around Dalit cultures of resistance to everyday casteism and violence under caste regulation. Mental health practitioners who are ‘experts’ in the psychosocial effects of caste discrimination will be critical to such efforts. As a result, students will feel comfortable confiding in them, leading to better mental health outcomes [5].

“The process of producing knowledge without a critical consciousness of caste hierarchy – including within the educational institute – becomes an instrument of exploitation by creating a market of elitist myths about knowledge itself. The majority of educational institutes are, in this manner, complicit in the transmission of dominant ideologies in the classroom. – Rajesh Pawar [11]”

Images are for representational purposes only

If you are facing mental health issues and want to reach out, here is a list of caste-aware mental health support:

https://thebluedawn.org/

https://mhi.org.in/

https://icallhelpline.org/
References

[1] R. Radhika, “58% student suicides in IITs, NITs, central institutions from SC, ST, OBC, minority communities,” careers360, [Online]. Available: https://news.careers360.com/iit-delhi-madras-kharagpur-nit-iisc-bengaluru-iiser-sc-st-obc-suicides-dharmendra-pradhan-parliament.

[2] C. Bahri, “If IITs Had More Dalit Professors, Would Aniket Ambhore Be Alive?,” IndiaSpend, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.indiaspend.com/if-iits-had-more-dalit-professors-would-aniket-ambhore-be-alive-69867.

[3] A. BILLADAKATH, “Caste reservation should go….” Head counsellor’s casteist remarks trigger row in IIT Bombay,” Maktoob, [Online]. Available: https://maktoobmedia.com/2022/06/14/caste-reservation-should-go-head-counselors-casteist-remarks-trigger-row-in-iit-bombay/.

[4] T. N. Collective, “Is Depression just Depression?,” Notes on the Academy, [Online]. Available: https://notacademy.in/2022/05/29/depression-is-not-just-clinical-depression/.

[5] V. Komanapalli and D. Rao, “The mental health impact of caste and structural inequalities in higher education in India,” Transcultural Psychiatry, vol. 58, no. 3, p. 392–403, 2021.

[6] “The death of Merit,” [Online]. Available: https://thedeathofmeritinindia.wordpress.com/.

[7] “IISc Bangalore replaces ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans to prevent student suicides in hostels,” India Today, [Online]. Available: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/iisc-bangalore-replaces-ceiling-fans-with-wall-mounted-fans-to-prevent-student-suicides-in-hostels-1890069-2021-12-20#:~:text=IISc%20Bangalore%20has%20replaced%20ceiling,three%20of%20them%20by%20hanging.

[8] J. Deeksha, “IIT Madras to install suicide-prevention device on hostel fans, after fallout over Fathima’s suicide,” Edex Live, [Online]. Available: https://www.edexlive.com/news/2019/nov/22/iit-madras-to-install-suicide-prevention-device-on-hostel-fans-after-fallout-over-fathimas-suicide-9214.html.

[9] S. K. Shetty, “Why vegetarians should worry about vitamin B12 intake,” [Online]. Available: https://www.livemint.com/news/business-of-life/why-vegetarians-should-worry-about-vitamin-b12-intake-1540554245498.html.

[10] “Less Than 3% of All Faculty Members at IITs Are SC/ST,” The Wire, [Online]. Available: https://thewire.in/education/less-than-3-of-all-faculty-members-at-iits-are-sc-st#:~:text=Of%20the%206%2C043%20faculty%20members,and%2021%20from%20Scheduled%20Tribes.&text=New%20Delhi%3A%20Less%20than%203,categories%2C%20the%20Centre%20has%20said..

[11] R. Pawar, “Freeing Today’s Class(room) from Caste,” Mariwala Health Initiative, [Online]. Available: https://mhi.org.in/voice/details/freeing-todays-classroom-caste/.
This post has been self-published. Youth Ki Awaaz neither endorses, nor is responsible for the views expressed by the author.Upvote



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Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide,


Azemil09lancy

Jun 28, 2022

Life and Relationships
Is Life Meaningless? A Ranting Of A Guy With Some Thoughts


Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide

Life, as you see it, is quite irritating, frustrating, and even depressing. You may be born into poverty or richness. Still, the absurd yearning for the inexistence of the universe may arrive at you. Life can be hard despite our privileges. But, on the other hand, life can be joyous despite our hardships. So I’m talking about life. The fundamental question of philosophy for Albert Camus’ is that there is only one severe philosophical problem, and that is suicide.

Suicide is never the antithesis of life. It is, in fact, the gateway to it. The antithesis is simply NOT LIVING. Death is not even the antithesis. It’s the gateway. Suicide is one way to it. Suicide, in fact, never occurs to someone who is deeply interested in nihilism and has his brain exploded due to the intellectual stimulation he is intensely enjoying.

It’s when things go wrong, and you feel stuck, hopeless, lost, anxious and depressed, except maybe there. I can’t exactly be sure whether no one killed himself because he found the whole universe to be a damn thing that seemingly has no inherent meaning, making his life meaningless.


Life, as you see it, is quite irritating, frustrating, and even depressing.

My point here is that life is inherently subjected to fate. Even suicide may be one’s fate. But before committing suicide, if one thinks that life is just experiencing fate or fate is inescapable. If he is so damn brilliant as to enjoy the beauty of Amor Fati, he may live. He may not kill himself. But in fact, fate can be so damn hard. Isn’t that why we work hard? To escape from bad fate?. To overcome or outsmart it? But still, things may go wrong. The world is complex, and it may not even be your fault that you have a terrible fate.

Imagine one thing, every individual, me and you, have a fate. Yeah, that’s true. We may suck up, or we may be heroes. But does it even matter? No, I’m not going to pour nihilism. Let’s say I’m going to pour something out, maybe not a philosophy or even a thought. A simple ranting, to be exact. Here we imagine who are people of bad fate. It sucked up our lives. It caused irreversible harm to ourselves. Killed our future. Dreams appear so blurry and depressing because it has become something never attainable.

We are just a tiny spot in the seven billion people on earth. It’s so natural for people to suck. It’s been there since the beginning of humanity. And it will work for sure last until its end. So why does it matter? We are just living in some unknown corner of this world where we give names to the planets and stars we see in the sky.

We are building space research machinery to satisfy our natural and inherent urge to conquer. But how far will we reach in this universe of uncertainty and infinity? Maybe not infinite, but for us, the ends are unknown. It’s just like a huge ocean which never ends, or its end is not seen in our eyes.

Why does our fate matter? What does it matter who we become?


We may suck up, or we may be heroes. But does it even matter?

What happens is that we fail to overcome the brutal emotions we encounter. Imagine a future where you have no job, no house, or money. A life you are living in the streets, sleeping on footpaths and eating out of garbage cans. One day in your life as such, you encounter your old girlfriend. So beautiful, charming, and glorious to make any heartbeat in the joy of its rhythms get tuned to sing a melodious song for her. She’s looking at you and realised that it’s her old flame. But it’s an alien which she is seeing.

If one can escape the emotional warfare of self-hatred, hopelessness and frustration one battles, then he can escape the hells of life. We can’t see ourselves like that. We can never. And that’s why our fate will always matter to us. And that’s why you get anxious about your future. And that’s why this catastrophising occurs in your mind. We are confronting a fiction we create in our minds. In it, something which we never want to us is happening. But, in a sense, we enjoy it. We crave it. We let our minds float to find more of it. And why it happens Is still not known, maybe solely for me...

I do not intend to say anything like, “oh yeah, we should overcome it all”, or “we shall rise” I won’t say anything that’s so cliche.

I’m just saying... This is the end of this article.

This post has been self-published. Youth Ki Awaaz neither endorses, nor is responsible for the views expressed by the author.Upvote



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