IIT Kharagpur will introduce an induction programme for parents on July 25, to be held alongside the orientation for first-year BTech students, the institute’s director said.
The move comes amid alarm over a spate of student deaths on campus, with the institute aiming to urge parents not to exert pressure that could lead to mental stress for their children.
An expert committee tasked with looking into the student deaths identified parental pressure as a cause of stress among students and asked to take steps to curb this, IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty said on Tuesday.
Panel recommendations
“We are devastated following the deaths of four students who were found hanging in their hostel rooms in the past seven months. We think there is a need to conduct the induction to reduce parental pressure flagged by members of the expert committee,” Chakraborty told The Telegraph.
“Parents may think they are motivating their children, without realising they are subjecting the students to too much pressure. They need to be alerted,” he said.
The expert panel — formed on May 8 — includes psychiatrists, mental health professionals, alumni, and a retired IPS officer. It was set up following a letter from the family of Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student who was found dead on April 20.
The panel intensified its efforts after the most recent case — Ritam Mondal, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, was found hanging in his room at the Rajendra Prasad Hall on Friday.
On Monday, the committee began interacting with students across hostels to
better understand their challenges. The members met the director on Tuesday and shared findings, including stress stemming from
parental expectations and peer-induced pressure around internships.
“In response, I thought of a session for parents during the induction. I will personally address them and explain the importance of reducing pressure,” said Chakraborty.
The committee will submit a detailed report within two weeks.
Parents at orientation
An IIT official confirmed that parents are usually present during the first-year BTech induction, which marks the start of classes. This year, the administration is reaching out to ensure parents stay for the July 25 session designed specifically for them.
“I have decided that part of my address will be directed towards the parents. We
want to caution parents: pushing children to succeed at all costs may only harm them. Our students have tender minds. Even well-meaning pressure can lead to catastrophic consequences,” said the director.
Internship rush
The issue isn’t limited to parental pressure. Peer-induced stress around internships was also flagged during the committee’s interaction with students. Many students, the director said, feel compelled to overload themselves to “build a fat CV”.
“We want to tell students that while internships are valuable, they should not become a source of mental strain. The administration is here to guide them toward the right opportunities — without stress,” Chakraborty said.
Wake-up call
An IIT professor acknowledged that the recent tragedies exposed gaps in the institute’s mental health infrastructure. “Four suicides in seven months — this isn’t something we can overlook,” the professor said.
Ritam was found dead in his room on July 19. Before him, on January 12, Shaon Malik, a third-year electrical engineering student, was found hanging in Azad Hall of Residence. On April 20, Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year ocean engineering student, was found dead in JC Bose Hall. On May 4, Md. Asif Quamar, a third-year civil engineering student, hanged himself during a video call in Madan Mohan Malviya Hall.
