New Mental Health Policy Set To Manage Rising Stress Among Students: IIT Roorkee

At a time when stress among students and psychological challenges are becoming evident across college campuses, the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee has decided to take a proactive approach. The esteemed engineering institute in Uttarakhand has begun drafting a comprehensive mental health policy to support students, staff, and the wider campus community. This initiative is being viewed as an important model for other premier institutions in India to rethink how they address mental well-being. The immense pressure to compete academically has long been a part of their life. A push for excellence in IITs has come up with the cost of their mental health. Many students experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues as they try to manage their academic, practical, research, and personal demands.

Crafting a policy with purpose

Realising the existence of gap between the students and their mental health, the administration of IIT Roorkee is trying to shift the focus from the current state of mental health care being a support system to a policy that integrates mental health care into the fabric of the institute.

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The mental health policy is being drafted under the supervision of the Wellness Centre of the institute, which is already providing counselling and related services. Notably, this is not a document that has been written in a vacuum. It has been written after incorporating the views of faculty members, clinical psychologists, the Dean of Student Welfare, the Associate Dean of Student Wellness, and mental health professionals. This collaborative process reflects a wider trend in higher education, where institutions are no longer treating mental health as a footnote but as a central part of student success and campus life.

SAHYOG 2.0: Learning From the IIT Ecosystem

An important catalyst for this policy development has been an important forum called "SAHYOG 2.0." This inter-IIT consultation brought together representatives from various IIT campuses to share insights about existing practices, challenges, and governance mechanisms related to mental health. Participants discussed what has worked, what hasn't, and how a shared policy could help standardise support across campuses.

Building on the first edition of SAHYOG in 2024, this second round focused on practical solutions and shared learning. The discussions were wide-ranging, covering everything from preventive care and counselling services to crisis intervention protocols. By pooling experiences from across the IIT ecosystem, the aim is to create a policy that is responsive, inclusive, and adaptable to varied needs.

Aligning With National Expectations

IIT Roorkee's decision also resonates with broader national directives. Both the Supreme Court of India and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have recently emphasised the responsibility of higher education institutions to protect and promote student mental health. These directives urge colleges and universities to go beyond ad-hoc responses and build structured frameworks for mental wellness.

By starting to draft a formal policy now, IIT Roorkee is aiming that education institutions should focus in this crucial area. The policy is expected to serve not just the Roorkee campus but potentially offer guidance for other IITs and similar institutions striving to enhance student support systems.

What This Could Mean on the Ground

Although the full policy has not yet been published, the approach being pursued suggests several likely benefits for students and staff. A comprehensive policy could clearly define how counselling services are delivered, establish procedures for crisis response, outline preventive mental health programs, and set standards for coordination between departments. It could also reduce stigma by signaling that mental well-being is taken seriously at the highest levels of institutional governance.

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For those students who are constantly under pressure to perform at their best, such a framework could reassure that their emotional and psychological health matters just as much as academic achievement. Whether it leads to measurable improvements in campus life will depend on how the policy is implemented and supported over time.

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