IIT-B alumni donate Rs2.5 crore for better on-campus counselling

In light of rising stress and depression levels among students at the Indian Institute of Technology — Bombay (IIT-B), the institute’s alumni members have made a Rs2.5 crore donation to facilitate a tailor-made counselling programme on campus.

The plan was revealed during the IIT-B Alumni Day celebrations on Sunday, when the academic batch of ‘86, against the backdrop of their silver jubilee reunion, ceremonially handed over a cheque to the institute director Prof Devang Khakkar.

The Counselling Services Programme (CSP) is expected to address the academic, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of students.

Sandeep Pandya, a student from the class of ‘86, said, “A comparative evaluation between IIT-B and renowned Western universities will be conducted to finalise the correct approach for students at the campus.”

“The kind of students coming to the IITs has changed. A growing number are coming from tier two and tier three cities, as well as villages. Tough competition, coupled with the burden of expectations back home, can cause some to crack under pressure,” added Pandya.

Recently, a survey was conducted by current hostel general secretaries to understand students’ points-of-view. The programme, on which work began in March this year, is expected to be ready within the next six months and will be implemented in the next academic year.

An IIT-B student who did not wished to be named, expressed delight on hearing about the programme. The student said, “The programme should be publicised thoroughly, unlike the current counselling services about which I was not even aware until I was in the second year. Our current counsellor is an elderly woman and without any disrespect to her professional excellence, I shy away from sharing my thoughts with her.”

“Thanks to reservations, students who score a mere 200 suddenly have to compete with students who’ve scored beyond 350. Such students are bound to face academic issues, leading to depression. Visiting a counsellor is not an easy task and the counselling process has to be more accessible and proactive,” said another student.