Disclaimer: The following article may contain words and themes that are emotionally sensitive and can be triggering. Please read with caution. This material is for awareness purposes only.

A severe gap has been found in the number of mental health counsellors available for students across multiple IIT campuses as per guidelines by the University Grants Commission (UGC). According to data obtained through Right To Information (RTI) reports, many IIT campuses have one counsellor for over 1000 students. The revelations comes after a surge in student suicides especially in premier institutes like IIT in the last five years. While IIT has recently claimed that they are planning long-term solutions to provide mental health experts for their students, the numbers in the data are dismal.

Earlier this year the Supreme Court of India had created a national task force following rising student deaths in these higher education institutes. It had expressed disappointment in the lack of initiatives dedicated to student mental health in such premier institutes and called for effective implementation of preventive measures.

IIT Flouting UGC Rules

According to the University Grants Commission, there must be one psychologist for every 500 students. However, the recent reports have revealed a major failure in following this guideline. The data has shockingly revealed that all IITs except the campus at Ropar fell short of adequate counsellors for its thousands of students, according to The Hindu.

IIT Kharagpur reportedly has only one counselor for every 1,136
IIT Roorkee has one counselor for every 1,317 students
IIT Varanasi has one counsellor for every 4,750 students
IIT Jodhpur reported six counsellors and psychologists for 4000 students
IIT Patna has two counsellors for 4000 students
IIT Tirupati has three counsellors and psychologists for 1,700 students

The University Grants Commission Guidelines

The UGC in a comprehensive document had laid down several rules to be followed by higher education institutes (HEIs) to maintain physical and mental well-being of students. The guidelines were created by an expert committee to ensure student well-being in such competitive environments. The objective was to ensure adequate services to all students enrolled in HEIs including mental and physical well-being as well as a supportive network for students.

Student Service Centre (SSC) In Every HEI

The UGC had mandated that every HEI must ensure an SSC to help manage struggles related to stress and emotional adjustment. It would have to follow the standard system mentioned in the relevant provision of ordinances to provide adequate support to students especially from rural backgrounds, female students, students from diverse cultural backgrounds and those with special needs. The SSC will function as a single-window system to address relevant student issues.

Adequate Number of Counsellors per Student Ratio

The SSC must include qualified physical and mental health counsellors, physical and mental health experts and physical assessment tools. This is to particularly assess and provide adequate interventions that help students feel energized, enabled and independent to pursue their career goals.

Provision of Mental Health Services

The SSC will conduct counselling, guidance and physical and mental health services either online, in-person, through a telephone helpline or in group counselling sessions based on the circumstances. It will have access to students basic details and must maintain a separate record of vulnerable and stress-prone students who may require special guidance and support. The SSC should have adequate number of male and female trainers and counsellors in the HEI.

SSC Must Have External Collaborations

The SSC is required to jointly work with mental health professionals of medical health isntitutions located in the vicinity. The institute must share the related information and highlight details of student support systems on their websites and brochures. The SSC must also work with other centers like Schedules Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cell, Gender Equity Centers and Student Welfare Committees.

India’s Mental Health Expert Deficit

India is facing an acute shortage of mental health professionals as per growing cases of individuals facing mental health challenges. There have been reports of severe shortage of trained psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses, according to the Economic Times. The World Health Organization has stated that there must be 3 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. India only has about 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people according to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry.

Conclusion

As India’s mental health crisis deepens triggered by socio-economic-religious factors, the government’s repeated attempts at bridging the Mental Health Gap seem continuous. It is widely recognized that younger individuals are most vulnerable to mental health struggles and a lack of adequate help in premier institutions like IITs is concerning. Time is no longer an option and every effort must be poured into utilizing all accessible resources to help prevent students from choosing the extreme just because help and support were not available.

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