Patna, Sept. 1: The life of third-year computer science student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna, Yalavarthi Sweeya, could have been saved had the institute or her parents taken her ailment seriously.

Sweeya was suffering from depression, one of most common ailments among youngsters, especially students nowadays. The IIT authorities claimed that the girl’s parents were informed about her ailment regularly but they showed least concern.

Subhash Pandey, the registrar of IIT, Patna, told The Telegraph: “The girl was suffering from depression and the institute informed the girl’s parents about her ailment on a regular basis. Just four days ago, Sweeya’s parents were informed but neither her parents nor any of her family members turned up.” The girl was under counselling at Mahavir Vatsalya Hospital.

The girl had secured Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) 7.8 in her last semester but her expectations were very high and wanted nothing less than CGPA 9 out of 10.

The registrar added: “The girl had high expectations which were even reflected in her studies.”

Sweeya, who had topped her matriculation and Class XII examinations, wanted to repeat the same feat in her engineering course. Failing to achieve that made her slip into acute depression, said the IIT authorities. The girl seldom interacted with her classmates and preferred to remain aloof. The IIT authorities also claimed that the teachers and faculty members of the institute and even the institute director, A.K. Bhowmick, had counselled her many times.

The incident has come as a jolt to the institute that opened in 2009. Pandey said: “It is a very sad incident which has shaken the institute.” Meanwhile, the IIT authorities have strictly ordered students not to speak to the media.

Pramod Kumar Singh, head of department of psychiatry of Patna Medical College and Hospital said: “Stressful life and failure to meet one’s expectations leads to depression. Depression is not a disease but a symptom of mental disease.”

Singh added that there is a phase when every human being in his or her life suffers from depression. In males, the percentage of depression ranges up to 10 percent in his entire life span, while among women, it is double.

Early detection and proper medical treatment, along with counselling, are some of the preventive measures a depressed person should be provided.