IIT Kharagpur to appoint psychiatrist after Supreme Court raises concern over student suicides

A day after the Supreme Court raised concern about student suicides, especially at IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University, IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said the institute will soon appoint a full-time psychiatrist to support students in crisis, a TOI report stated.

On Monday, a Supreme Court bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan questioned IIT Kharagpur’s counsel about repeated cases of suicide on campus. The court asked, "What is wrong with your IIT Kharagpur? Why students are committing suicide? Have you given a thought to this problem? What steps have you taken?" The court also directed that investigations in both IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University cases should “proceed expeditiously”.

Director outlines new mental health measures

Speaking to PTI, Director Suman Chakraborty said, “We will be appointing a new full-time psychiatrist within the next few days.”


He added, “Besides, we will be introducing motivational lecture series for all the students,” which, according to him, will help students facing stress or anxiety.

According to an institute spokesperson, IIT Kharagpur already has a 24x7 counselling service, but it is managed by part-time counsellors, including faculty members and other internal stakeholders.

Efforts to reduce external pressure on students

Chakraborty also said the institute plans to regularly engage with students’ parents. He said IIT Kharagpur would speak to parents every alternate month to encourage them not to put additional pressure on their children regarding internships and to get feedback on their child’s mental well-being.

At an induction programme last Friday, the director also appealed to parents not to burden their children, noting that the institute itself offers academic support and organises internships.

Four student deaths since January

Since January 12 this year, four BTech students at IIT Kharagpur have been found dead in their hostel rooms. Following these incidents, the institute has set up a fact-finding committee to investigate and suggest preventive steps.

Source: PTI