Ravenshaw University organises a programme on stress management at Bhargabi hostel on the campus on Saturday evening. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Dec. 15: Ravenshaw University authorities have started counselling sessions to reduce stress levels among students after the two suspected suicides in a week.

A separate counselling cell has also set up by the authorities to regularly monitor the activities of girl students, who have also been advised to report any incidents of change in behaviour of their batchmates.

“We have decided to conduct regular counselling of girl students to ensure that they open up and reveal any problem they face in their academics or at a personal level,” said registrar Padan Jena.

Two girl students of the premier educational institute died under mysterious circumstances in separate incidents on December 5 and December 11.

While one allegedly committed suicide by jumping off a running train because she was not happy with her performance in the semester exam, the other reportedly ended her life by falling from the third floor of a shopping mall due to lack of cooperation from the teachers.

Neela Madhav Rath, head of the psychiatric wing at SCB Medical College and Hospital, had also conducted an orientation programme at Bhargabi hostel on Saturday evening.

He said students usually resorted to extreme steps as they lacked proper guidance at the family, peer or personal level.

“It is the job of every family to educate students, who usually tend to make wrong choices in their adolescence, as they come across much curiosity,” said Rath.

University officials said such kind of orientation programmes would continue keeping in view the rising incidents of depression among students.

“The stress management programme was helpful as we were depressed following the twin suicide incidents by two of our students last week,” said Sweta Das, a student.

Students of other colleges in the Millennium City have also demanded for setting up a dedicated counselling cell at their respective colleges.

“We feel that counselling has become essential as most of the students are not aware of dealing with pressure situation arising out of various incidents including at family level,” said Rituparna Das, a student of Shailabala Women’s College.

The students of Christ College are also in favour of a dedicated counselling cell at their college.

“Today, apart from family it is also the responsibility of every educational institution to educate the students in a systematic manner. We feel that apart from imparting self-defense training, the girl students should also be made mentally strong to deal with any challenges,” said Snigdha Mishra, principal of Christ College.