Post Covid has created a challenging environment, in particular concerning emotional well-being of all in residential institutions.
In a direction to strengthen several ongoing activities, multiple efforts starting with Kushal meetings are being launched starting April 1, 2023, to increase the interaction between faculty advisors/Guides and the students. A telephonic counselling on wellness in association with the Tamil Nadu state government is also launched and the email has been circulated to all students for registration. We request more student's participation.
The Institute's Wellness Centre with the help of Mitr and Saathi Volunteers and external wellness agencies may further enhance various approaches for the well-being of the students/scholars.
Gatekeeper sessions are already arranged for faculty, Mitr and Saathi volunteers that shall enable them to handle immediate actions that need to be taken at the crucial time. The first session has already been conducted by M/s. Kauveri team and details are available on this website. Several more sessions are planned.
Wellness Students representatives from each hostel and the student body may also help in understanding the students' need.
In addition to existing counsellors, a group of counsellors is formed who will be visiting the hostels and departments at pre-announced times. Details of the same shall be announced on this site by April 20, 2023
Increasing interactions with NIMHANS and other similar Institutions may help
NIMHANS team has visited and interacted with all groups including the Student's Council, Chintabar, Faculty and Administration. They will come out with a detailed set of recommendations. The same will be uploaded in this website and implementation of the same will be taken up immediately.
The Academic Section may further facilitate various approaches to complete the course requirements of students who might be having large backlogs resulted due to COVID related challenges.
A greater number of summer courses and other academic opportunities will be offered to help students clear backlogs.
It is essential to conduct wellness awareness and gatekeeper training programs on regular basis to sensitize all stakeholders towards understanding and identifying red flag-related issues and taking appropriate actions, such as wellness therapy and arranging parental care.
Special Wellness Awareness sessions have been conducted by a team from National Health Mission (NHM) and Institute of Mental Health (IMH). In addition, professional team from M/s Kauvery Hospital have conducted Gatekeeper training programme for faculty and also student volunteers in MiTR. MiTR and Saathi team volunteers are proactively engaged in interaction with the students to support them for their wellbeing. Also, “Listeners” team is initiated just to provide solace to the students, if they wish to vent their emotions. It is now decided to provide more awareness by delivering lectures on the following three important topics: (a) Strengthening Mindset for New Beginnings. (b) Building a psychological safe environment(c) Culture Sensitization IITM has also operationalized a new “behappy.iitm.ac.in” website dedicated for ensuring general wellbeing of faculty, staff and students in the campus. .
In-person or online surveys by an independent agency of students on a regular basis will be useful in understanding the emotional-wellbeing status. The outcome will be useful in taking appropriate measures to enhance the well-being of an individual.
In addition to the response given against Recommendation (1), it is decided to initiate wellness survey for all new students after few months of time, on joining the institute, to know the healthiness and emotional wellbeing of the students
Due to recent unfortunate incidences, several students may be needing parental care or counselling support in the current situation. Hence, the academic section may facilitate some approaches to completing the course requirements with ease.
After the unfortunate incidences, IIT Madras have initiated various programs including (a) Counselling sessions to know healthiness and well being of the students(b) 24x7 counselling facility to student, faculty and staff. (c) Any request made by the student/requirement arises for parental support, IIT Madras provides immediate action to it, without any delay.(d) Dean (academic courses) has proactively initiated various actions including; The candidates in the final year, having any backlogs will be closely monitored by special team and facilitate them with proper guidance, for the successful completion of the course in the scheduled time. It is decided to provide special session to all third and final year students appearing for the internships and placements with special lectures on how to handle academic and placement/internship preparations.
Visits by Faculty Advisors to various hostels and interactions with students will also be useful.
Need for regular interactions by Faculty Advisors with their assigned students, both inside the department and at places like hostel, mess have been stressed. 'Behappy' website provides for such useful inputs to be updated by each Faculty Advisor about each of their student assignees. In addition, department associations have been asked to conduct technical, cultural festivals and also sports events, by involving faculty and all students.
Encouraging students to take part in various curricular, co-curricular activities and life skill development may also be useful. This will increase opportunities for person-to-person interactions among students..
Different clubs under CFI and other cultural and sports activities will continue to be encouraged. A new initiative has been taken by the music club team by providing opportunity to inmates of each hostel, in rotation, to perform in front of Himalya. Many initiatives on rallies for common cause are planned to enhance the one-to-one relationship among students, staff and faculty.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, being extremely concerned about suicides of students, has taken several steps to counsel and help those who need emotional support. One of the measures has been to provide an 'Inquiry Committee' that shall interact with scholars, students and faculty members who would like to depose and provide any facts or information related to the recent suicide of a PhD Scholar and shall make recommendations to the Director, IIT Madras in the form of further actions to be taken in this situation and for prevention of such a loss of precious lives. Therefore, the competent authority had constituted an Inquiry Committee in April 2023 to inquire into the suicide of the Ph.D research scholar. For the detailed report on the Recommendations and actions taken is given here. Click here to read the report*.
