I have a Solution that will reduce pressure on IIT aspirants but do not know how to get this across to HRD Minister of India. Suggestions are welcome. - Ram Krishnaswamy

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Thursday, October 31, 2019

IITians Can Now Pursue BSc Instead of Dropping Out - Qrius


IITians Can Now Pursue BSc Instead of Dropping Out


The HRD ministry and IIT Council’s joint decision to give IIT students the option of a three-year BSc course, rather than dropping out is progressive. Headlines about burnout and suicides have become far too common for a step like this to not have been taken. If only, it had been sooner.


BY QRIUS




Ah, the Indian Institutes of Technology! Bastions of excellence, for so long held in reverence by aspirants, parents, society, parents, coaching classes, industry, and parents.However, of late (and by that I mean, the past two decades), news mention of IITs have skewed toward the dark side — of burnout, dropouts, mental stress, and of course, suicides. The latter is particularly disturbing and is something that begins at coaching class stage itself. In fact, one alumnus maintains a blog documenting IIT-related extreme steps. Solutions to these problems vary from the useful (IIT Madras starting an in-house mental wellness programme) to the ridiculous (Kota using sensors in ceiling fans to detect hanging attempts).

An important step toward solving part of this was taken recently by the Human Resource Development Ministry with the approval of the IIT council, which has gone under the radar: to allow academically weak students to opt for an easier, three-year BSc (Bachelor of Science) course rather than dropping out or being forced to finish the rigorous, flagship four-year BTech (Bachelor of Technology) course. This is a fairly progressive step, especially since it comes from the same department whose minister regurgitated that WhatsApp-fuelled urban legend of NASA endorsing Sanskrit as the best programming language — at an IIT Bombay convocation, no less.

Prima facie, this seems like a positive move. For instance, an IIT graduate I spoke to wishes this option existed in his time. “In my second year, I got fed up of the IIT and had half a mind to drop. Eventually, I completed my course, but if there was an option to do a three-year BSc course then, I would have definitely taken it,” he says.

There are several good things about this move — primarily, it gives students who’ve put in a fair bit of effort and time a legitimate way out while still retaining the IIT tag, albeit to a lesser extent. Mental stress — especially on account of poor academics — can lead to several people dropping out or doing worse, and that is a terrible waste of such good potential. After all, even the person who comes in last in an IIT classroom has scaled quite a wall to get there. An alumnus, who is now a professor, puts the blame on parents and society pushing kids to do what they don’t want. “They put in so much effort on getting here, they forget to check if this is where they want to go. Most of them cope somehow. There’s always grades to be made and the JEE-like mindset helps them ‘excel’ but the constant race is tiring. And if you don’t see results it starts to seem pointless,” says the professor, who did not wish to be named.

If you scour Quora threads started by IIT students seeking advice as to whether to drop out of their courses, a lot of responses tell them to power through their courses just to get that coveted tag. While these responses don’t take into account the mental agony which is pushing them to ask strangers these questions in the first place, they further validate the HRD’s decision — a diminished tag is better than a lost one.


Apart from salvaging the candidate’s effort and time, it also becomes less of a waste of taxpayer money — an IIT education is still government-subsidised.

Another recurring theme in these questions by potential dropouts is the worry of social stigma. This too is reduced to some extent, though the question of degree relegation itself is ripe for fresh stigma by family members and society. But I’m confident that this perennially unsatisfied lot will eventually buy the “an IIT is an IIT” argument.

Apart from salvaging the candidate’s effort and time, it also becomes less of a waste of taxpayer money — an IIT education is still government-subsidised. (It’s another debate that many of the subsidy beneficiaries go abroad or do an MBA.)

What’s more, the IITs will act as trendsetters. Just like how I once argued that Apple should make a sustainable phone, which will prompt others to follow suit, I wouldn’t be surprised if more colleges consider this option, as the best colleges in the country have legitimised it. Some people might look at this as an easy way out, but I look at it as ending a bad marriage. What’s more, the country could sure use some more good scientists rather than mediocre engineers, so a happy side effect of this ruling could be adding some amount of prestige to the BSc degree itself.

And it’s an opportune time, too. “Scientific research is a field that is fast becoming a hotbed for start-ups and entrepreneurs,” says Berty Ashley, senior molecular geneticist, at Bangalore’s DART, a research lab in India focusing on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. “Students, even dropouts, who have a creative side and an innovative thought process might find themselves well suited for research and will derive a lot of satisfaction from contributing here.”

Of course, all of this will depend on the implementation and post-degree path of these students. An optimistic way of looking at it is that even an academic failure at an IIT should find gainful employment, though not as lucrative as what his BTech brethren might grab. Another IIT professor I spoke to was more circumspect. “Market forces are untested — we don’t know how recruiters will react to this. Many might wonder why they should recruit students who were academically weak.” A fair point, though one could hope that in the worst case, many of them might be compelled to pursue a career in the sciences itself. The same professor said that the key would lie in whether the switch was voluntary — something that is unclear at the moment. It might well be that different IITs approach this differently, as they do in the case of, say, expulsions.

For many companies, this might not be a bad arrangement. As an ex-software slave, I can tell you that IT companies don’t give two hoots about your engineering background, as long as you can learn to code after a month-long training period. In fact, during my time there, I learnt that increasingly, the “cheaper” BSc students were being preferred as the end outcome would be the same. Perhaps IIT-dropout-BSc students might mean IIT students get less menial jobs? I do see some benefits on that front, but again, time will tell.

All in all, this is to my mind a progressive move. It might mean that fewer students might be put up on a pedestal, but it could also mean that fewer of them might use a pedestal to reach a ceiling fan.

I never thought I’d say this, but… Good job, HRD.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan

This article was originally published on Arre

‘It was Siddharth’s dream to study in IIT’, father recollects memories of son who committed suicide

‘It was Siddharth’s dream to study in IIT’, father recollects memories of son who committed suicide

His mother reportedly could not sense anything wrong with her son as he reportedly did not say anything out of the ordinary, Siddharth’s uncle Laxmi Narayana, told TNIE. 
Published: 30th October 2019 04:42 AM  |   Last Updated: 30th October 2019 04:42 AM  |  A+A-
Third-year computer science student of IIT-Hyderabad Siddharth Pichikala.
Express News Service
HYDERABAD: An inconsolable Srinivas, 48, still cannot come to terms with the fact that his 20-year-old son is no more. Srinivas kept recalling how Siddharth, a third-year student of computer science and engineering at IIT, Hyderabad, had promised to visit home on Tuesday. As the post-mortem examination was being carried out at the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, Srinivas said, before breaking into sobs, “He promised yesterday that he would meet us today [Tuesday] when I spoke to him. He didn’t come home for Diwali citing that he had an exam a day after the festival.”
In a mail sent to his friends minutes before jumping off the hostel building early on Tuesday, Siddharth said that he was struggling to deal with his poor academic performance, among other misfortunes. He also stated that he had been feeling mentally exhausted for the last two months and had finally decided to end his life. However, in the suicide note, Siddharth did not directly blame the institute for the decision in any manner.
“He was always a meritorious student who secured 100 per cent marks in academics. It was his dream to study in IIT. He was shortlisted for several top engineering institutes in the country. We never forced him to do engineering,” said Srinivas, a software professional himself. “Siddharth never seemed to be stressed, and he was free to do whatever he wanted to do,” the grief-struck father added.
On Monday night, Siddharth had called his mother and spoken for nearly 15 minutes. His mother reportedly could not sense anything wrong with her son as he reportedly did not say anything out of the ordinary, Siddharth’s uncle Laxmi Narayana, told TNIE. 

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Why Depression Among India’s Students Should Not Be Taken Lightly - Youth Ki Aavaaz,

Why Depression Among India’s Students Should Not Be Taken Lightly

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Getting in to an IIT is an aspiration of many students and life seems very fortunate when a student makes their way in but this fortune gets intriguing when hidden aspects are introduced. The death of a 21-year-old student of IIT Hyderabad comes as a shock for everyone but just like the others, this will also be untended and forgotten with time.

Anirudhya, who hailed from Secunderabad, was pushed to suicide and jumped from a seven-storey-hostel building on January 31. His death was first recognised as an accidental fall from the building but later his emails to his friends revealed that he was suffering from depression.

This is not the first time a student has resorted to suicide due to depression; a large number of similar cases have been reported previously. In May 2017, Arjun Bhardwaj, a 24-year-old management student ended their life and cited the fear of failure in exams in a note. In September 2018, Shahal Kormath, a 23-year-old student of IIT Madras, died by suicide as he feared that he won’t be allowed to appear in final examinations due to being short of attendance.
Also Read: The One Thing That Helped Me Battle Depression And Survive IIT

In December 2018, a second year MBBS student also resorted to suicide at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. In February the same year, Shivani Bansal, a 22-year-old MBBS student, was pushed to suicide at Government Medical College, Srinagar saying that she wanted to be a cricketer and never wanted to become a doctor.

This list of suicides among students goes on with every case being cast away with time but we cannot ignore that the numbers are increasing everyday. According to a 2015 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), every hour, a student is pushed to suicide in India!

In 2015, there were a total of 8934 cases of suicide reported and depression was found to be leading cause of suicide. According to a report by the WHO, 6.5% of the total population is affected with depression making India the 6th most depressed country in the world.
Also Read: Colleges Can Prevent Students From Committing Suicide If They Only Paid Attention

Depression has been cited as the most common cause of suicide. A report states that almost 300 million people are affected with depression worldwide yet it is the most ignored problem. The increasing number of suicide among students is a problem that should not be taken lightly.

A thorough investigation is required as to why a student, after clearing IIT and getting admission, still resorts to suicide. Is the curriculum designed in such a way that it forces a student to think that “life holds no meaning” as stated by Anirudhya’s note, or does the environment not allow positive values to be inculcated?

Is it the burden of becoming a doctor or an engineer borne by students to fulfill the dreams of their parents responsible for a suicide?

A healthy and open approach is required to deal with this situation. A homeostasis between a positive approach and studies in campuses is needed and open discussion is necessary to solve the issue.

Ignoring the issue will only be problematic. Acceptance of depression is required and in-campus counselling should be carried out to help students. They should not be forced to become what they don’t want to. Rather, each one should be appreciated and motivated for their respective talents and should be encouraged to pursue their area of interest.
Featured image used for representative purposes only.
Featured image source: Pixnio

'Depressed' IIT-Hyderabad Student Kills Himself on Campus, Third Suicide at The Institute This Year - News 18,


'Depressed' IIT-Hyderabad Student Kills Himself on Campus, Third Suicide at The Institute This Year

Siddharth Pichikala, a third-year student of computer science, jumped off the third floor of the hostel building around 3.26 am on Wednesday morning.

Rishika Sadam | CNN-News18Updated:October 29, 2019, 4:33 PM IST

Hyderabad: In the third incident of suicide at the institute this year, a 20-year-old student of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) killed himself in the early hours of Tuesday.

Siddharth Pichikala, a third-year B-Tech student of computer science, jumped off the third floor of the hostel building at around 3.26 am.

Pichikala was taken to a private hospital where he was declared dead. His body has now been shifted to Gandhi Hospital, run by the Government, for an autopsy.

Minutes before the tragedy, he had sent an email to his friends, which said he is unable to concentrate on academics, pushing him to a stage of depression and forcing him to take this extreme step.

“There is a critic within me questioning my every move to the extent that I feel I shouldn’t exist. I shouldn’t exist because I am a self-obsessed guy. I was brought up that way, being compared with my peers all the time,” read the suicide note.

The police said the deceased was depressed over his performance in academics over the last two months. He was scared of his future as well as his career, they added.

“Life rather seems depressing. Never-ending strands of misfortune to an extent that I mentally couldn’t tolerate it. I have no clue how my future is going to be. I have been feeling this for the past two months,” said the email.

Following a complaint from the management, a case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC.

“IIT Hyderabad faculty, staff and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student. This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family.” a statement from the institute said.

This is the third incident in the campus within a year. In July, Mark Andrew Charles, a second-year Masters’ student from Uttar Pradesh, committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room. In his suicide note, Charles said he may not get good marks and that there is “no future for failures” in the world.

Anirudhya Mummaneni, a third-year student, jumped off the hostel building in February.

'Life depressing, no clue about future': IIT-Hyderabad student leaps to death off hostel building - India Today


'Life depressing, no clue about future': IIT-Hyderabad student leaps to death off hostel building

A 20-year-old student of IIT-Hyderabad committed suicide after sending mails to his friends saying he did not find life interesting and that he had no idea about how his future was going to pan out


Press Trust of India HyderabadOctober 29, 2019UPDATED: October 29, 2019 17:48 IST



This was the third student suicide at the IIT-Hyderabad this year (Getty photo for representation)

HIGHLIGHTS
The boy was a 20-year-old BTech student at the IIT-Hyderabad
In a suicide note, the student indicated he was depressed
This was the third student student at the IIT-Hyderabad this year

Driven by depression, a 20-year-old BTech student of Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad allegedly leaped to death from the hostel building on the campus here on Tuesday, in the third suicide by a student of the prestigious institution this year, police said.

A third year computer science and engineering student, Pichikala Siddarth, who hails from the city, jumped off from the third floor of the hostel building at around 3.25 am.
Security staff and some students who noticed it rushed him to a private hospital. Later he was shifted to a corporate hospital where he died without responding to treatment, Sangareddy district Deputy Superintendent of Police P Sridhar Reddy said.

According to police, before committing the extreme act, Siddartha sent mails to some of his friends saying he did not find life interesting and his death will not make big difference to the world.

"Life rather seems depressing I have no clue how my future is going to be. I have been feeling this for the past two months. Also the courses are going bad for me. I could not concentrate well...," he purportedly wrote in the mail to his friends.

The institute, located in Sangareddy district about 50 km from here, condoled the death of Siddarth.

"IIT Hyderabad Faculty, staff and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student. This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May his soul rest in peace," it said in a release.

Siddarth is the third student of IIT-Hyderabad to take his life this year.

Earlier in July, Mark Andrew Charles, a native of Varanasi District in Uttar Pradesh and a final year Masters student, committed suicide by hanging.

On January 31, M. Anirudh, a third year Mechanical and Aerospace engineering student, ended his life by jumping off the hostel building.

WATCH | Depression, a silent epidemic among Indian teens





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IIT-Hyderabad student ..Commits Suicide - TOI

Friday, October 25, 2019

St Stephens Professor Kills Himself After Forcing Mother To Commit Suicide


CAMPUS KI KHABAR


St Stephens Professor Kills Himself After Forcing Mother To Commit Suicide


BY BHAVIKA BHATIA
OCTOBER 22, 2019


On October 19, an ad hoc Philosophy Professor, Allen Stanley at St Stephens College perpetrated suicide by jumping in front of a train post forcing his own mother to end her life at their Pitampura house. The 27 year old Allen Stanley’s body was found near platform 3 at Central Delhi’s Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. While his mother Lissy, who was 55 was found hanging from the ceiling fan. Her mouth was stuffed with a cloth and her limbs were tied.

After further investigation, it was found that the two had a case of abetment of suicide registered against them in Kerala, their home state. The case was filed by Lissy’s second husband who passed away last year, and was on anticipatory bail.

The teacher left a four-page suicide note in which he clearly mentioned the case and said he and his mother were upset and depressed about it. Allen Stanley was a temporary Professor of Philosophy at Stephen’s college and was doing his PhD from IIT Delhi.

The police reported Stanley and Lissy had an ongoing property dispute with her second husband’s first wife. The police received a call at 12:30 PM on Saturday from a relative of Lissy stating she was not responding to calls and her house door was closed.

“When the police team reached her apartment in Pitampura and checked the handle of the door, it opened. She was found hanging from the ceiling fan and her mouth was stuffed with a cloth. The police tried contacting her son Allen but he could not be reached” a police official was quoted as saying.

It was suspected that someone must have forced her to perpetrate suicide since the cloth was stuffed in her mouth, a case of murder was registered at Rani Bagh police station. Meanwhile, Allen’s friend who is an associate professor, tried calling him but the phone was answered around 1:30pm by a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer who informed him that Allen has committed suicide on the railway tracks.

The investigating team revealed that Stanley had told a colleague on 15th October that he was thinking of perpetrating suicide. “He had tried to force his mother to end her life five days back but she did not agree,” Koan said.

The police also stated Allen was very depressed over police investigations against him and his mother.

“His friends and relatives who stayed in Delhi had even visited their house after he had attempted to force his mother to commit suicide. They tried telling them that things would be fine but Stanley wanted to end his life. We suspect the mother had cloth in her mouth because Stanley wanted to make sure she didn’t scream,” said a police office


IIT boy falls to death - Telegraph India


IIT boy falls to death
Campus sources said he could only have fallen off the sixth floor or the terrace

By Our Special Correspondent in Bhubaneswar

Published 23.10.19, 1:49 AM

An IIT source appealed for an end to speculation about a possible suicide and the likely motives, citing the dignity of the deceased(Shutterstock)


Asecond-year IIT Bhubaneswar student apparently fell to his death at his hostel on Monday evening.

Chirag Pravin Jain, 19, a BTech student of computer science from Pune, stayed in a second-floor room at the six-storey Mahanadi Hall of Residence, one of the institute’s four hostels. He was found lying on the ground with a smashed head.

“A case of unnatural death has been registered. We are waiting for the post-mortem report. Investigation is on to ascertain the cause of death,” DCP Anup Kumar Sahu said.

An IIT media release described Chirag as “an academically bright” student. His parents have arrived to claim the body.

Sources said Chirag had played a leading role in welcoming Isro chairman K. Sivan to the campus during the institute’s convocation on September 21.

On his Facebook page, Chirag had described himself as “secretary, Neuromancers, IIT Bhubaneswar” and as a member of “The Fourth Wall (Dramatics Society of IIT, Bhubaneswar)”.

Campus sources said he could only have fallen off the sixth floor or the terrace, since all the five floors below have grilles rising from the parapets to the ceiling.

An IIT source appealed for an end to speculation about a possible suicide and the likely motives, citing the dignity of the deceased.

“Many people will say many things, like he was under mental pressure because of studies or may have been in love with a girl,” the source said.

“But all these are rumours. No one need caste aspersions on the character of a bright student. Everyone should wait for the investigation report.”

IIT Student Dies After Allegedly Falling From Hostel Roof In Odisha - NDTV


IIT Student Dies After Allegedly Falling From Hostel Roof In Odisha

Chirag Pravin Jain, a second year student of Computer Science, was found dead on Monday evening.

Bhubaneshwar | Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: October 22, 2019 18:48 IST



The parents of the student have been informed about the incident.

BHUBANESWAR:

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bhubaneswar died after allegedly falling from the hostel roof, police said on Tuesday.

Chirag Pravin Jain, a second year student of Computer Science, was found dead on Monday evening.

Chirag Jain belonged to Pune, Maharashtra and was admitted to a hospital after he reportedly fell from the roof of the hostel. He, however, died at the hospital while undergoing treatment.

"On Monday evening, a student of IIT-Bhubaneswar fell off from the roof and sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to the injury. A case of unnatural death has been registered and we are investigating the case," said Anup Sahu, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police.

IIT Bhubaneswar in a statement said the local police is currently investigating the matter and trying to ascertain the exact cause of death.

The parents of the student have been informed about the incident.

"This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May his soul rest in peace," the institution said in the statement.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Friends blame ''malicious'' news report for death of DU prof, mother

    


THE NEWS SCROLL21 OCTOBER 2019 Last Updated at 7:10 PM | SOURCE: PTI

Friends blame ''malicious'' news report for death of
 DU prof, mother

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) Friends and colleagues of DU professor Alan Stanley,
 who allegedly committed suicide, on Monday blamed "malicious" a news
 report published against Stanley and his mother for the tragedy.

The decapitated body of Stanley, who was an ad-hoc professor in Delhi
 University''s (DU) St Stephen''s College, was found on the railway tracks at
 Sarai Rohilla here on Saturday and his mother Lissy was found hanging from
 a ceiling fan, with her mouth stuffed with a piece of cloth, in their Pitampura
 flat.

According to a friend of Stanley, who requested anonymity, "He had faced a
 lot of hardship. He lost his father when he was in the final year of college.
 Later, he ensured that his mother remarry, despite facing opposition from his
 elder brother, who drifted away from them."

The mother-son duo was in depression because of an abetment-to-suicide
 case pending against them in Kerala and both were on anticipatory bail.

Stanley''s friends accused the regional media in Kerala for a news report
 published on October 15, portraying his mother in bad light by apparently
 comparing her to the prime suspect in the Koodathai serial murder case.

One of the professor''s friends recalled him as a person who was never
 greedy for money.

"He valued human relationships more than money. On top of that, he was
 earning quite well from his teaching job at St Stephen''s. I remember the
 board inside his room in IIT''s Shivalik hostel, which had the details of who
 all he owed money to and who all had borrowed money from him," he said.

He also recalled Stanley as a "religious person" who would go to the Hauz
 Khas church every evening.

The crime branch of Kerala Police is probing the abetment-to-suicide case
 registered against Stanley and his mother in Idukki district of the southern
 state. The case was registered on September 17, TA Antony, Deputy
 Superintendent of Police (DSP), District Crime Branch, Idukki, said.

The case was lodged by the son of Stanley''s stepfather.

"He had alleged that Lissy forced her husband to transfer some of his cash
 to her account. Most of his liquid funds were transferred to her account. 
The stepfather became depressed and even consulted a psychiatrist," 
the DSP said.

The psychiatrist advised treatment and care for Lissy''s husband Wilson, 
but she allegedly demanded a flat from him, forcing him to take his life, the
 officer added.

Wilson committed suicide by hanging himself.

"At that time, the police had investigated the case as one of unnatural death.
 Later, Wilson''s family levelled allegations against Lissy, saying she had 
driven him to commit suicide. There are allegations that a total amount of
 Rs 70 lakh was transferred to her account and that she is a nominee to her
 husband''s deposits of Rs 2.25 crore," the DSP said.

A case was registered under sections 305 (abetment of suicide of child or
 insane person) and 380 (theft in dwelling house, etc.) of the Indian Penal
 Code (IPC) against the mother-son duo, he added.

Principal of St Stephen''s College John Varghese said the college will hold a
 condolence meeting for Stanley.

A colleague of Stanley recalled him as a professor with whom students
 could connect since he was only a few years senior to them. PTI SLB RC

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is 
auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

IIT student commits suicide by jumping off from hostel roof -

IIT student commits suicide by jumping off from hostel roof

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

DU prof, found dead on railway line, may have forced mother into suicide pact: Cops


DU prof, found dead on railway line, may have forced mother into suicide pact: Cops

Police have also recovered two knives from the bedroom of the Pitampura flat, where the 55-year-old woman was found hanging from the ceiling fan on Saturday afternoon.

DELHI Updated: Oct 22, 2019 05:57 IST

Karn Pratap Singh
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Investigators said the man’s colleagues and family friends had been regularly talking to them and trying their best to discourage them from ending their lives.(Representational Image)


Investigations into the deaths of St Stephen’s College adhoc assistant professor and his mother has revealed that the man may have allegedly forced his mother into a suicide pact some days ago. The plan, however, didn’t materialise at that time because she backed out, police said.

Investigators said the man’s colleagues and family friends had been regularly talking to them and trying their best to discourage them from ending their lives.

“A witness has confirmed that the man had told him that he had tried to force his mother to commit suicide once earlier, but she had backed out then,” said A Koan, deputy commissioner of police (outer)

Police have also recovered two knives from the bedroom of the Pitampura flat, where the 55-year-old woman was found hanging from the ceiling fan on Saturday afternoon. The woman’s mouth was stuffed with clothes and her limbs were tied, leading police to suspect that the ad hoc assistant professor may have allegedly murdered his mother.

“The presence of knives suggest that the man may have used them to threaten his mother and dissuade her from raising an alarm,” said an investigator.

Police said the duo was facing an abetment to suicide case that was reportedly filed in a police station in Kerala, allegedly by the family of the woman’s second husband’s former wife. The woman’s first husband reportedly died (reason and cause not known) in 2016 in Kerala’s Kottayam. She then married for a second time in 2018.

“Her second husband killed himself in December 2018. We don’t know the reason behind his extreme step. His first wife’s family members filed an abetment to suicide case against the woman and her son. We are yet to get a copy of the FIR,” said Rajender Singh Sagar, additional deputy commissioner of police (outer).

Police said the ad hoc assistant professor was pursuing his PhD from IIT-Delhi. An official from IIT-Delhi said the two were reportedly distressed by some media reports about their case.

On Sunday, a few family friends of the mother-son duo took to social media and blamed a few media organisations in Kerala for their deaths. They accused the media houses of allegedly publishing stories in which the woman was blamed for her second husband’s death, causing “unbearable public humiliation” to her and her son.

“He had taken classes on Friday and the students are shocked that he took this step,” a third-year student of St Stephen’s College said, requesting anonymity.

St Stephen's lecturer had suicidal tendencies: Delhi Police


St Stephen's lecturer had suicidal tendencies: Delhi Police

Delhi Police claimed to have been informed by the people close to the 25-year guest lecturer of St Stephen's College that the he had tried to 'convince' mother to commit suicide just five days ago.
ADVERTISEMENT


Indo-Asian News ServiceNew DelhiOctober 20, 2019UPDATED: October 20, 2019 21:04 IST



Stanley, an ad-hoc faculty of philosophy at St Stephen's College, was pursuing PhD from IIT-Delhi. (Photo: Facebook)

In the 'murder and suicide' case of a 25-year guest lecturer of St Stephen's College of Delhi and his mother, the Delhi Police claimed to have been informed by the people close to the mother-son duo that the son had tried to 'convince' mother to commit suicide just five days ago.

When Alan Stanley's mother Lissy refused to listen to him and commit suicide, he killed her, as per the primary investigation. Stanley had suicidal tendencies and had tried to commit suicide earlier too. They belonged to Kottayam of Kerala.

"Statements by many neighbours and some of Stanley's friends have hinted that Alan had suicidal tendencies and was even trying to 'convince' his mother to give up her life," a policemen involved in the investigation told IANS.

According to the source, Alan's mother Lissy had married twice and had another son from her first marriage. After the death of her first husband, she remarried in 2018. Her second husband too died some time ago.

The police told IANS, the duo, on bail, was accused in the case of abetment of suicide of Lissy's second husband.

"The police had received information about a body on a rail track, close to platform No 3 of Sarai Rohilla station, on Saturday. The body was found in two parts. The police recovered mobile phone, some documents and driving licence, which revealed that it was a body of Alan Stanley," a Delhi Police officer had told IANS.

Stanley, an ad-hoc faculty of philosophy at St Stephen's College, was pursuing PhD from IIT-Delhi. He had been living in Delhi for one-and-a-half years and was joined by his mother only seven months ago.

St Stephen’s teacher, mother found dead: ‘He was troubled by media coverage of stepfather’s suicide’


St Stephen’s teacher, mother found dead: ‘He was troubled by media coverage of stepfather’s suicide’

In a social media post, Stanley’s friend Rajiv Pereira also made similar allegations, referring to reports in two Malayalam news portals on October 15 and 18.

Written by Sukrita Baruah |New Delhi |Updated: October 21, 2019 9:23:14 am


XAlan Stanley (27) and his mother lived in Pitampura.

After the death of PhD scholar and teacher Alan Stanley, and his mother, Saturday, his mentor and friends have alleged the two were driven to death by media coverage of the death of his stepfather.

The 27-year-old was a second-year PhD candidate at IIT-Delhi’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and his area of research was the philosophy of chemistry. In January, Stanley had joined St Stephen’s College as an ad-hoc teacher in its philosophy department. He had studied BSc Chemistry at St Stephen’s before doing an MA in Philosophy from Hyderabad Central University and beginning his PhD.

Also Read | St Stephen’s teacher, mother found dead in suspected murder-suicide

“Everyone was aware that both mother and son were very disturbed by reports in Malayalam newspapers, connecting them to his stepfather’s death… We are going to pursue the matter legally and demand that there be some kind of guidelines on how reporting is done,” said his PhD supervisor Sanil V.
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In a social media post, Stanley’s friend Rajiv Pereira also made similar allegations, referring to reports in two Malayalam news portals on October 15 and 18: “Aunty was compared to the prime suspect of the Koodathai murder incident.. For the past six months, Alan and his mother were facing legal battles on (a) property dispute and an investigation regarding the suicide of Alan’s stepfather. These cases had broken them down… Alan stopped communicating after October 15. Our friends in Delhi reached (out) to him, only to find he and his mother had lost all hope.”

His students remember him as being deeply passionate about teaching philosophy. “We were the first batch that he had taught; he was very excited about it. He would spend a lot of time teaching us different mathematical paradoxes. I will always remember the internal assessment test he conducted. In the middle of it, he pulled out packets of fruit juices. We stopped writing for a few moments to squeal about how sweet the gesture was,” said Urna Chakraborty, whom Stanley had taught in her final semester.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Delhi: St Stephen's lecturer found dead on railway track, mother's body found in Pitampura flat


Delhi: St Stephen's lecturer found dead on railway track, mother's body found in Pitampura flat

Primary investigation reveals suicide to be the cause of death in both cases. However, the police are probing another angle -- that the son might have first killed his mother and then committed suicide.
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Puneet Kumar SharmaNew DelhiOctober 20, 2019UPDATED: October 20, 2019 15:43 IST



Photo: Facebook/Alan Stanley

In a potential case of double murder-suicide, Delhi Police have recovered the body of a 55-year-old woman in a suspicious state from Delhi's Pitampura area.

The woman's body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her Aashiana Apartment flat and her mouth was stuffed with cloth. However, in an added twist to the mysterious death, the police also found her son's body on the tracks of Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station.

Primary investigation reveals suicide to be the cause of death in both cases. However, the police are probing another angle -- that the son might have first killed his mother and then committed suicide.

The son, identified as Alan Stanley, was a guest lecturer of Philosophy in Delhi's prestigious St Stephen's College. He was also pursuing his PhD from IIT Delhi.

Both the victims belonged to Kottayam in Kerala. Stanley had been living in Delhi since the past one-and-a-half years and was joined by his mother only seven months ago. All of their relatives live in Kerala.

During the investigation, it was revealed that there was a pending case of abetment of suicide against the mother-son duo in Kerala and they were out on anticipatory bail.
Did suicidal son kill mother?

The son was a professor of philosophy. According to some of the witnesses, Alan was suicidal and had tried to commit suicide earlier also. The witness told that Alan tried to force his mother to commit suicide five days back but she was not ready for it then.

According to police sources, they have recovered a suicide note from the flat. The note mentions Alan's mental condition and that he was suffering from depression.
Mother-son duo were out on bail

The sources further added that Alan's mother Lissy had been married twice. She had Alan and another son from her first marriage. After the death of her first husband, she remarried in 2018 but her second husband also died some time ago.

Her second husband's family filed a case of abetment of suicide against her and Alan in Kerala. Kerala Police is collecting information about the case.

The police have registered a case of murder in Lissy's death and a case of suicide in Alan's death.

Police are suspicious that Alan first killed his mother and then committed suicide.

The two bodies have been sent for post-mortem. The matter is under investigation.

Also Read | Hyderabad: Man kills pet dog over property dispute with sister, booked

Friday, October 11, 2019

Ways to help kids de-stress - Deccan Herald

Ways to help kids de-stress 


Vivek Jain,

OCT 10 2019, 00:01AM IST UPDATED: OCT 10 2019, 02:06AM IST 





Photo for representation. Stock photo. Student suicide has evolved as an epidemic in our society with data revealing appalling facts that should a...

Read more at: 

https://www.deccanherald.com/supplements/dh-education/ways-to-help-kids-de-stress-767203.html

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Centre asks IITs to open wellness centers to prevent suicides -0 News Bytes

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have long been the academic dream. However, getting into the country's most coveted institute is as tough as it is stressful, as aspirants go through back-breaking preparation to crack JEE Advanced.
Surviving the institute's tough curriculum is yet another challenge, evident by students dropout rate and unfortunate suicides.
Hence, the Centre is introducing counseling plans for IITs.
Details

MHRD devised plan to help students cope with high pressure

MHRD devised plan to help students cope with high pressure
According to The Print, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has urged all IITs to mandatorily open wellness centers and seek the services of professional counselors to help students deal with the institutes' high-pressure environment.
A senior official, who chose to remain anonymous, said the plan was presented before all premier technology institutes at the IIT Council which concluded last week.
'IITs asked to ensure wellness centers, professional counselors'
The official, who was reportedly present at the meeting, told the publication, "Yes, the matter was discussed at the IIT Council meet and all the IITs have been asked to make sure that they have wellness centers and professional counselors."
Scheme

Scheme likely to be rolled out by November

Although some IITs do have wellness centers, including the institutes in Delhi, Mumbai, and Madras, the official said the Ministry has now instructed all 23 IITs to adopt the scheme, likely to be introduced by November.
Furthermore, the Ministry is planning to extend the service of over 300 counselors, including private partners, to other higher education institutions across the country through an online mechanism.
Student concerns

From stressful entrance coaching to increased pressure at IITs

From stressful entrance coaching to increased pressure at IITs
Apart from the high-stress environment, students face a host of issues. A language barrier is among the biggest concerns for students who do not hail from English-medium institutions.
An IIT Professor told The Print, "They already come from high-pressure environments- first, coaching classes, the pressure to crack JEE Mains, then Advanced, and then finally getting into an IIT puts more pressure on them."
History

26,467 students killed themselves between 2014-2016

Earlier this year, an IIT-Hyderabad student, Mark Andrew Charles (20), hung himself and left behind a heart-rending suicide note, underlining a lack of emotional support at IITs.
However, it's not just the IITs. Government data reveals that between 2014 and 2016, 26,467 students killed themselves in the country.
Additionally, 2,461 students dropped out of IITs in the past two years.

Friday, October 4, 2019

To check student suicides in IITs, govt wants professional counsellors & wellness centres - The Print


To check student suicides in IITs, govt wants professional counsellors & wellness centres

For other higher education institutions across India, HRD ministry is planning to involve over 300 counsellors for an online mechanism.

KRITIKA SHARMA Updated: 3 October, 2019 9:20 am IST

IIT Delhi | Commons

New Delhi: Looking to prevent suicides among students in higher education institutions and improve their mental well-being, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has come up with a counselling plan for the IITs as well as other institutes, ThePrint has learnt.

To enable students in the high-pressure environment of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the ministry has asked all IITs to open wellness centres and seek the services of professional counsellors on a mandatory basis, said a senior ministry official.

The decision was conveyed to all the premier technology institutes at the IIT Council meet that concluded last week, said the official, who didn’t want to be named.

“Yes, the matter was discussed at the IIT Council meet and all the IITs have been asked to make sure that they have wellness centres and professional counsellors,” the official, who was present at the meeting, told ThePrint.

A number of IITs — Delhi, Mumbai and Madras for example — currently have wellness centres. But the ministry has now mandated this for all the 23 IITs, including the new ones.

For other higher education institutions across the country, the HRD ministry is planning to involve over 300 counsellors for an online mechanism. It is also engaging private partners who could provide counselling sessions to students, said the official.

The scheme is likely to be rolled out by November, he said.

Between 2014 and 2016, as many as 26,467 students committed suicide in the country, according to government statistics.
How the plan came about

The HRD ministry’s move comes over a month after an IIT-Hyderabad student committed suicide, leaving behind an eight-page suicide note in which he blamed academic pressure for taking the extreme step.

Following the incident, the ministry constituted an internal committee comprising members from the IITs to suggest steps to prevent suicides on campus. The committee suggested that the institutes need to take definitive steps to prevent student suicides.

“Students come to IITs from all kinds of background — some are not able to cope up with the academic pressure, some are from Hindi medium (schools) and are unable to deal with the change in language and then go into depression,” an IIT-Delhi professor told ThePrint.

“They already come from a high pressure environment — first, coaching classes, the pressure to crack (entrance test) JEE Mains, then advanced, and then finally getting into an IIT puts more pressure on them,” said the professor, who did not wish to be named.

He added, “To deal with such situations, it’s necessary that IITs provide counselling to students. Although IIT-Delhi is already doing that, there may be some others who do not have professional counsellors.”

In an emailed response to ThePrint, Professor S.M. Sivakumar, Dean (Students) at IIT-Madras, said his institute has a robust mechanism for counselling already in place. It already has a wellness centre facility and professional counsellors.

IIT-Madras also has anonymous LGBTQ groups, faculty mentors, residential wardens and student groups to extend help to those who might need it, added Sivakumar.

In its directions, the ministry has also asked institutes to seek the help of faculty members in identifying students who may need help and then send them for counselling.


Also read: UP worst performer among big states — Niti Aayog’s first school education quality index



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