HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Mumbai| Updated: Jun 03, 2015 22:37 IST
After a 23-year-old student at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) attempted suicide on Monday, the institute is planning an overhaul of its counselling programmes to help students speak out about their problems instead of taking drastic steps.
Though the student survived the attempt, two others have killed themselves on the campus since September last year.
As part of the revamp, the institute plans to hire more professional mental health experts.
“We are also planning an outreach programme, as part of which students will be trained to spot signs of depression. Lectures on the subject will also be conducted. Depression is a major taboo in our society and that makes it difficult for students to reach out for help. The outreach programme will address that issue as well,” said dean of student affairs at IIT-B Soumyo Mukherjee.
According to sources in the institute, letters will also be sent to parents of first-year students, asking them not to pressurise their wards too much.
“Apart from academic pressure, students are often burdened with unrealistic expectations from their families. We need to address each of these triggers,” said an official from the institute.
