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Providing inclusive environment to the students, addressing their grievances in a humane instead of mechanical manner, roping in senior students and families, and taking steps to aid the mental health of both the teachers and the students – these were some of the suggestion made at a workshop organised by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi on Tuesday.
The institute held the workshop on Mental Wellness and Stress Management along with the Ministry of Education weeks after organising a discussion with the students belonging to different backgrounds to understand the challenges they face at the premiere institute.
“We held a discussion for about three hours. About 100 students attended the session. We found out many things such as students being asked their ranks constantly…such things made us realise how sensitisation is required, especially in the first year,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. Several institutes, including other IITs, IISCs, IISERs, BITS, AIIMS, NITs and IIMs from across the country took part in the workshop.
“We all have a very diverse group of students…with the kind of pressures and expectations in today’s society, we need to provide an inclusive environment and support,” said IIT Delhi director Rangan Bannerjee. “In our institute, the counsellor, deans and wardens are there 24×7 for the students. Despite this, it’s not enough. We need to take support of senior students, look at mechanisms, understand causes of problems and the kind of anxieties people face,” he added.
The workshop was divided into four verticals: Importance of Communication; Psychiatry, counselling, accessibility and event organisation; Governance reforms; and Curricular reforms and Implementation.
“While there are numerous examples of directors, deans and HODs who are caring individuals…our request is to set up a system which also responds when the people at the helm of affairs are not up to the mark … grievances should be attended in not a mechanical manner but in a much more humane manner and every student finds his/her voice,” said Saumya Gupta, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education.
Professor Anil Kumar from IISc Bangalore pointed out how positive mental health practices should include taking into account the improvement of mental health of faculty members along with the students. Professor Srivathsan Vasudevan from IIT Indore suggested that a psychometric test must be conducted on students who enters the institute.
