New Delhi: The Education Ministry has taken cognizance and ordered the constitution of a high-level committee to review the implementation of mental wellbeing measures at higher education institutions following the suicide of a PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.
The 25-year-old PhD student died by suicide on the IIT Kanpur campus earlier this week jumped from the sixth floor of a campus building, marking the second such incident at the institute in less than three weeks.
Committee to Review Framework and Past Incidents
In its order, the Ministry referred to the Framework Guidelines for Emotional and Mental Wellbeing of Students in Higher Education Institutions issued in July 2023, aimed at creating an inclusive and supportive campus environment across the country.
The three-member committee will be chaired by Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabuddhe, Chairperson of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF). Its members include Dr Jitendra Nagpal, Senior Psychiatrist at Moolchand Hospital, and a Joint Secretary (Higher Education) from the Ministry of Education.
The panel has been tasked with reviewing the extent of IIT Kanpur's compliance with the 2023 framework guidelines. It will also examine past cases of student suicides at the institute, including the circumstances surrounding such incidents, with specific reference to the availability and effectiveness of institutional policies, counselling services, grievance redressal mechanisms, and other student support systems.
The committee will identify gaps, systemic challenges and areas requiring strengthening in institutional mental health and wellbeing frameworks and make recommendations to the Ministry for further measures to prevent student suicides and enhance emotional and mental wellbeing support.
As per the order, the committee may interact with stakeholders at IIT Kanpur and seek relevant records or information required to discharge its mandate. The panel has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.
The framework guidelines provide a comprehensive roadmap for institutions, including sensitisation and capacity-building programmes for faculty, counselling and handholding mechanisms for students, early detection of stress and vulnerability, development of standard operating procedures for immediate intervention, suicide prevention strategies, and the establishment of buddy-mentor systems.