The suicide of Parag P Sadhale, an associate professor at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), raises questions on the anxiety and the pressure faced by professors and research students alike.
“We should be addressing the problem of the anxiety and the pressure that professors and students feel in scientific institutes such as the IISc. There is this need to achieve and many of the institutes don’t take anxiety as a serious problem. I don’t know if there is a counsellor in the IISc, to whom we can go and talk about our problems,” admitted one post-doctoral research student.
Some said that despite Sadhale’s suicide, general atmosphere on the IISc campus remained unchanged on Friday. “No one is really talking about this event. There were a few people talking in the mess but really it’s not affected anyone too much,” said one researcher. He said that in fact, research students should be prepared for the rigmarole of undertaking long-time research work.
“There is a lot of good research being done here. You just need to remain positive and have patience. A lot of people here work hard but have nothing to show for it,” he said.
Regardless of lack of result, some believe that the IISc is still the premium institute in the country to do quality research.
“In India, if you want to do your PhD, you can’t get a better institute than the IISc. I think the problem here (regarding Sadhale’s suicide) is more of a personal nature and really has nothing to do with the research,” said a post-graduate researcher.
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