TNN Jul 17, 2009, 04.00am IST
KOLKATA: The body of 19-year-old Joginder Singh, who committed suicide on the IIT Kharagpur campus on Wednesday, was handed over to his father on Thursday. Singh had reached the campus on Wednesday morning for admission with his father and maternal uncle. He was supposed to register himself on Friday. However, he hanged himself in a room of the institute's Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall of residence.
This is the second suicide on the campus in a span of one month. Worried, the institute has decided to employ a clinical psychologist on campus. It will be a residential position and the psychologist is expected to join in a week.
"We need a psychologist on the campus. The kind of mind disorders that kids are coming with these days is extremely upsetting. This is the largest IIT we have 8,000 students and we needed expert help. Hence the decision," said Soubhik Bhattacharya, dean of students.
KOLKATA: The body of 19-year-old Joginder Singh, who committed suicide on the IIT Kharagpur campus on Wednesday, was handed over to his father on Thursday. Singh had reached the campus on Wednesday morning for admission with his father and maternal uncle. He was supposed to register himself on Friday. However, he hanged himself in a room of the institute's Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall of residence.
This is the second suicide on the campus in a span of one month. Worried, the institute has decided to employ a clinical psychologist on campus. It will be a residential position and the psychologist is expected to join in a week.
"We need a psychologist on the campus. The kind of mind disorders that kids are coming with these days is extremely upsetting. This is the largest IIT we have 8,000 students and we needed expert help. Hence the decision," said Soubhik Bhattacharya, dean of students.
Faculty members said that toppers from all over compete to enter an IIT. They cannot get over their being brilliant academic career and become depressed if they cannot live up to their past record, senior teachers feel. "There is tremendous pressure from parents and a large number of boys and girls cannot cope with that. Naturally, depression sets in. Though very few end up committing suicide, many are in acute need of help," Bhattacharya said.
The psychologist on campus will be assisted by a teacher and student representatives. The latter will form a team and after initial training from the psychologist, they will be responsible for identifying students who show signs of depression and get them counselled.
The psychologist on campus will be assisted by a teacher and student representatives. The latter will form a team and after initial training from the psychologist, they will be responsible for identifying students who show signs of depression and get them counselled.
