By Archit Gupta,Education And Careers Desk,News18

Copyright news18

Following several unnatural deaths of students in its hostels, IIT Kharagpur on Monday said it has appointed 10 additional counsellors who will interact with students and researchers to assess their mental well-being.
In addition to the existing counsellors, these new professionals will move around the campus, engage with students and researchers as friends, and discuss their concerns, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty told PTI.
“See, no one can read what goes on in the mind of a youth, and in case a student is depressed, that can only be figured out if the person concerned approaches a counsellor. We have appointed 10 more counsellors who will meet the students collectively or individually to assess their mental health,” he said.
The move comes after the body of a researcher was found hanging from the ceiling of his hostel room on September 20, marking the fifth suspected suicide at the premier institute this year.
Harshkumar Pandey (27), a resident of Ranchi, was found dead in his room at the BR Ambedkar Hall. He was pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Chakraborty, who earlier became the Dean of Students’ Well Being and introduced the ‘Setu’ mobile app to assist students under mental stress, said, “Overthinking seems to have afflicted a section of the young generation who become edgy and apprehensive about their examinations and career prospects.”
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The senior academic added that a fact-finding team, constituted to investigate unnatural deaths on campus, will meet later on Monday. A total of five students have died, allegedly by hanging themselves, at the institute since January.
“At IIT Kharagpur, we recently observed World Suicide Prevention Day to reaffirm that no one in our community is ever alone in their struggles. Through initiatives such as the Board of Hope and the creation of a dean of students’ well-being, we remain committed to building a compassionate ecosystem that listens, supports, and uplifts every member of our community,” the director said.
He added that every boarder’s door has a barcode, which can be scanned to access the 24/7 counselling number for immediate help.
“However, considering that a reticent student may not open up to share his or her stress, we are deploying these mobile counsellors who will go to students’ rooms, sports clubs and other places of gathering, and mix with them in a friendly manner. This will also help us know whether a student is under stress and take appropriate measures to help the individual concerned,” he said.