Four suicides in a year: What is wrong with IIT Madras? - Financial Express

Four suicides in a year: What is wrong with IIT Madras?

Four people including two students and a research scholar have committed suicide on IIT Madras campus since September last year. The latest deaths took place within three hours on Wednesday, raising serious questions over the premier institute's functioning

By: Rajeev Kumar | New Delhi | Published: July 14, 2016 1:25 PM

The institute this year was ranked first among several other similar research and teaching institutions in engineering.

Four people including two students and a research scholar have committed suicide on IIT Madras campus since September last year. The latest deaths took place within three hours on Wednesday, raising serious questions over the premier institute’s functioning

Police suspected “family issues” could have forced two women — a 34-year-old post-doctoral scholar, P Maheswari, and Vijaya Lakshmi (47) — to commit suicide on Wednesday. Earlier, two B Tech students — Rahul G Prasad (22) and N Nagendra Kumar Reddy (21) — had killed themselves in October and September 2015 respectively.

Police sources reportedly said that Laxshmi, wife of a teacher on the campus, was depressed and she had tried to kill herself earlier also. But not much was clear about Maheshwari, who was married and had a son.

In a statement, the institute said, “IIT Madras reports with deep sadness the death of a post-doctoral research scholar in the campus. The scholar’s family has been informed. The institute extends its deep felt condolences to the family and the near and dear ones of the scholar for the unfortunate, untimely and devastating loss.”

However, one cannot stop oneself from wondering if there is something wrong with the institute. In past, there has been several reports claiming that multiple stresses on the campus lead students to commit suicide.

Among the reasons floated for Rahul’s suicide last year were a failed relationship and anxiety about placement, Indian Express reported in September last.

Antariksh Bothale, an IIT Bangalore graduate points out in a Quora post: “Suicide is a complicated thing. It looks like a random incident to an outsider, but it is usually the denouement of a long and complicated story.”

The institute this year was ranked first among several other similar research and teaching institutions in engineering.

Among several pointers including “competitive atmosphere”, “veneer of apathy and general indifference and financial issues”, he says, “There’s the additional complication of the skewed gender ratio. As a freshman you joke about it until it stops being funny, and as a senior you just resign to your fate, but the truth remains that lack of sufficient interaction with the opposite gender can contribute to overall stress.”

Writing about the various reasons leading students to commit suicide, IIT Madras alumni Dileep Patchigolla says on Quora: “The expectations could be quite high when one enters an IIT.”

While there is a “peer pressure” what adds more pressure, he says, is the “the sheer number of talented guys around you. Other top colleges too have quite bright students, but the number of such students is higher in IITs. So the chance of failure is higher in IITs compared to other top colleges.”

Police detain protesters outside IIT-Madras on Tuesday. (Source: PTI photo)

Sharing his experience on the campus, Dileep writes, “…during my stay in IITM, I saw several people getting project extensions at the end of their final year. So they couldn’t finish their graduation in the stipulated time and had to stay longer. This would mean they lose their jobs they got in campus placements. This has infact resulted in the suicide of a person I knew.”

Apart from the multiple stress, some students also get alienated during their stay on the campus due to change in character of students and the entry of first generation learners.

Quoting an MA student, Indian Express said, ” “Even professors who would stand for rights and equality conveniently avoid Dalit students or those who come from poor backgrounds as a delay in completing a thesis or projects would affect their careers too. So many teachers don’t think it is useful to help these students; instead they prefer the best ones. All these realities strengthen the alienation of a section of students who eventually fail to convince themselves about their goals and purpose of life.”

Central Lecture Theatre at IIT-M. (Source: Facebook)

Not only the suicides, the institute has been embroiled in several controversies since the last year.

Here are some of them:

• In May last year, IIT Madras was in the news for for banning Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), an independent student body, which triggered a social media campaign and widespread protests. The decision was taken following an anonymous complaint that the student’s body was trying to spread “hatred” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• More recently the institute was again in the middle of a controversy for organising a closed-door conference on ”Swadesi Indology” led by NRI writer Rajiv Malhotra.
• On Ambedkar Day celebrations this year, the institute had enforced strict rules.
• In February this year, the institute reportedly issued a circular banning all kinds of “political activity” because that is “against the apolitical nature of the institute”.

Five Of The Most Shocking Indian Student Suicides In Recent Times, And What They Teach Us About India - India Times

Five Of The Most Shocking Indian Student Suicides In Recent Times, And What They Teach Us About India

Kunal Anand

January 19, 2016

Students ending their lives, unable to cope up with pressure of competitive exams and expectations from families is an increasingly disturbing phenomenon. It is more saddening that for every high profile death, there's countless other students-turned statistics out there, buried inside your newspaper in tiny columns. 

1. January 2016, Hyderabad

The Hindu

Rohith Vemula, one of the five dalit scholars expelled by the University of Hyderabad last year, committed suicide by hanging himself at a hostel.

"The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind," Vemula wrote in his note before killing himself, taking no names.

The 25-year-old, a resident of Guntur, was doing his PhD in science technology and society studies for the past two years, before the scholar allegedly got involved in a tiff with the BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in August last year.

2. December 2015, Kota

bccl

14-year-old Bhanu Kumar, found hanging from a fan in his hostel room was the 30th suicide in IIT coaching hub Kota, and also the third suicide in that very week.

Kumar, a resident of Saharsa district in Bihar, came to Kota when he was just 13 to improve his performance in physics and mathematics. He was enrolled in class IX at a city school and at a coaching centre for an edge course in science subjects. However records from his institute showed that he was a regular absentee and the centre had informed his parents about their son's behaviour.

Incidentally, the death happened a day after the district administration undertook a major exercise to de-stress coaching students to curb the spate of suicides. 

3. October 2015, IIT Madras 

An Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) student was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his hostel room in October. The pre-final-year student dual-degree Electrical Engineering student's on-campus suicide was the second one in the preceding 30 days. 

If you've read our story on IIT Madras's Suicide Problem, you'd not be surprised 

Also read: IIT Madras also tried to censor a suicide survivor's story

4. November 13, 2015, J&K

iamin

Broken after learning that he had failed in his favourite subject, Mohammad Adnan Hilal, a 17-year-old electronics engineering student killed himself in Jammu and Kashmir in November last year.  Four months after his demise, a re-evaluation of the exam paper has found that he had not only passed but had also topped his class in the following subject. 

Understandably shattered to hear the news, Hilal's parents feel that this isn't a case of suicide, but a 'murder' as their son had actually secured 48 marks in Physics instead of 28 as declared earlier.  Adnan's friends and family claimed that Physics was a subject he used to be a master of, so when he saw that he had failed, he jumped into river Jhelum.

5. May 2015, Muzaffarnagar

Image: dailymail

Those who saw Muzaffarnagar's communal warfare in 2015 knew that "love jihad"( even if it was love and no jihad) was lethal. Imrana Bano and Rajneesh Kumar made this mistake, and then another for thinking that Muzzafarnagar wouldn't want to kill them for it.

This was too much to expect from a town which was perpetually a matchbox waiting to catch fire - just getting back on track a year after the riots that left 59 dead and left over 50,000 homeless - all over a alleged molestation. The parents of Rajneesh, a B.A. first year student knew about their love, and had sent him off to Rohtak, away from Imrana, whereas Imrana’s parents had shipped her off away to relative’s house. Imrana Bano was beaten for talking to Rajneesh, and forced into agreeing to marry someone from Shamli district, with an engagement scheduled for May 1.

Alarm bells by Prankti Mehta Kadakia - Hindustan Timese paper

• 28 Oct 2015
• Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
• Pankti Mehta Kadakia pankti.mehta@hindustantimes.com

Alarm bells

CAUSE FOR CONCERN With two students suicides at IIT-Madras in the past four weeks, a look at prevention methods across Indian campuses, when peer counselling is most effective, and what institutes can do to help

‘But one day, I cracked. I bunked morning class, was crying in my room… I took a towel, tied it to the fan, tied a noose, apologized mentally to my parents and sister, and tried to hang myself…’

SHUTTERSTOCK

After dealing with two suicide cases in four weeks on the IITMadras campus, student Pankaj Joshi (name changed) wrote about his struggle with depression for the institute’s online campus magazine, The Fifth Estate, on October 20.

‘Every day was pure agony’, writes Joshi. ‘I would sit clueless, watching others answer things that seemed like alien language to me. Class after class, slot after slot, I would just sit…lost. People at my internship didn’t respond to any mail…my mind was going into overdrive – what did I want to do with my life? Was I squandering my IIT opportunity?... Which top university will accept me with an early-8-point CGPA (which was threatening to go even lower)? I pretty much hated every second of every day.’

The two suicide cases, of MTech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy on September 21, and BTech student Rahul G Prasad on October 19, have raised several questions. No official data is available on IIT suicides, but according to a blog called Suicides at IIT, run to raise awareness about the issue, 76 IITians have committed suicide since 1981 — 15 in 2014, and seven in 2015, so far.

“In the past five years, at least five students I know have chosen to end their lives — we do not know how many failed in their attempts,” says Arya Prakash, an integrated MA in English studies student at IIT-Madras. “What has gone wrong in an institution that claims to provide professional counselling services as well as peer-to-peer counselling, where the Guidance and Counselling Unit was renamed ‘Mitr’ [friend]?”

“A large problem is that students and administration both assume that the suicide victim had difficulties in dealing with academic stress or with handling a relationship. As the blame is shifted to the individual, there is little reflection on the academic structure as a whole,” adds Veena Mani, a PhD scholar in humanities and social sciences at IIT-M.

While IIT-Madras is in the spotlight currently, similar cases prevail at various other IITs, and to a lesser degree, institutes across the country.

“Even at a social sciences institute like ours, we have had a few cases of suicide,” says Amita Bhide, professor and dean of the Centre for Urban Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Chembur. “Now, the stressors on students are so many — in addition to family and relationship issues, they are trying to build a career, pay off education loans, get placements that befit expectations, etc. Unfortunately, some students buckle under this pressure.”

At the IITs and in medical colleges, academic stress is a large factor for suicides, say experts.

“Suicides at institutes like the IITs and AIIMS make news, but there are cases at various other colleges that may not,” says Shobhana Mittal, attending consultant psychiatrist at the Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS). “This is a vulnerable time for students, when their roles and hormones are changing, along with their environment.”

“Most undergraduate BTech suicides (ages 16 to 21) are due to academic stress, the inability to cope and the shock of failure and its ramifications,” says Ram Krishnaswamy, a retired engineer and IIT-M alumnus, who runs the blog Suicides at IIT. 

“Add to this sexuality issues, relationship breakups, financial woes, drug and alcohol issues, and above all, mental health issues as depression and anxiety.”

A study published earlier this month by CIMBS says that 51.6% college students in Delhi have anxiety problems; 17.8% admitted to having suicidal thoughts; 64.6 % experienced depressive symptoms; 51.8% students felt overburdened by the academic pressures and career uncertainties.

“While this was a survey of 500 students from across Delhi’s institutes, considering that they come from all over India, it is indicative of students across the country,” says Mittal. THE ROAD AHEAD While most colleges — including the IITs — have strong counselling services, not many students willingly come forth to seek them.

“We have measures already in place — we provide counsellors, psychiatrists, even informal services from student volunteers — but the suicides still happen,” says Bhaskar Ramamurthy, director, IIT-Madras. “Students need to be forthcoming and avail of these services too. There is a stigma attached to seeking counselling.”

“We are taking several measures to try and remove this stigma,” says Soumyo Mukherji, dean of student affairs at IIT-Bombay, which saw a suicide case in May this year. “These suicides are a symptom of a larger, deeper problem, and we need to tackle the root cause of depression.”

I I T- B, Mukherji says, is working on hiring more counsellors, with different kinds of specialisations. They will also have student mentorship programmes, where a senior mentor can report a junior’s sudden fall in performance, erratic behaviour or other tell-tale signs.

“After recent suicides, the college has put in constant efforts to raise awareness about the issue. We've had stress management workshops and there has been an increase in the number of counsellors. Maybe the professors showing a little more empathy towards students could help bring a change," says Nilesh Bansod, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at IIT-Bombay.

According to Krishnaswamy, institutes should take a serious look at measures taken in universities in the UK, US and Australia, “instead of trying to reinvent the wheel”. These include prescribing self-help books, online counselling programmes, guided meditation, and regular counselling.

“Academic pressures in the west are ruthless too, but the circumstances are different,” says Mukherji of IIT-B. “There, students can take 10 years to graduate if they want. In India, especially at the IITs, you are using government resources. It is impossible to afford students who take only one or two classes a semester and spend years on campus, when there are so many more waiting for that seat.” PEER COUNSELLING KEM Medical College in Parel has workshops for students and faculty on suicide prevention. They are taught to identify signs of depression, how to get a depressed student to talk, and so on.

“This has really worked for us — we have seen so many cases where peers report depression in other students,” adds Shubhangi Parkar, dean at the institute.

At IIT-Delhi, similarly, students are coached to bring to notice signs of depression in their peers.

“Recently, minor exams were coming up and a student disappeared,” says SK Gupta, dean of student affairs at IIT-Delhi. “His friends immediately reported this to the authorities.”

However, some students are concerned that peer counselling is not entirely effective.

“Mitr’s method involves peer-to-peer counselling, and only some cases are referred to professionals. I am doubtful about this, as firstly, untrained people — or those with little training — are dealing with deep psychological issues,” says Veena Mani, a PhD scholar in humanities and social sciences at IIT-M. “I have been told that students find it hard to trust Mitr volunteers, as most of them are moralistic in their approach, and students feel that they will tell professors about issues they think can affect their grades.”

“Frequent checks should determine whether they are being implemented effectively,” adds Prakash of IIT-M. “For instance, if the volunteers are going to be judgmental about things like relationships or alcohol, it defeats the purpose.” 

(With inputs from Damini Priya)

IIT-M Magazine Censors 'Campus Depression', Puts Out Toned Down Version - New Indian Express

IIT-M Magazine Censors 'Campus Depression', Puts Out Toned Down Version

By Jonathan Ananda

Published: 23rd October 2015 03:55 AM

CHENNAI: ‘It is always darkest before dawn’ was published anonymously on The Fifth Estate (t5e), IIT-Madras’ official in-house student journal, on October 20. Barely two hours later, it was taken down following “concerns from several quarters”.

Narrating real life experiences of a suicide survivor from the institute, the write-up describes the Institute “as a hotbed of depression.”

Written in the wake of the second suicide in four weeks at the Institute, it said that it was time for the author to open up about his own tryst with the severe debiliatating  depression at the Institute, the suicide attempt that followed and how he had conquered it.

“I am a student here at IIT Madras, one of the most reputed colleges in the country and even the world. Yet, for all the laurels the IITs have, there has been one particular problem that we’ve not been able to eliminate — student suicides,” was how it begins.

Barely two hours later, it was taken down with a note saying that “concerns had been raised from several quarters”.

Speaking to Express, Executive Editor of the magazine, Raghavi Rao Kodati, said the article was taken down at the suggestion of the faculty advisor to the journal.

“We usually run articles through our faculty guide. This was not done in this case initially. When it was published, we received a suggestion from our advisor saying this might not be the best time to run it. On second thought, we too agreed and took it down for two days. A few sentences in the article like ‘IIT is a hotbed of depression’, were felt to be a bit strong.  There were a few others which we felt needed editing,” she explained.

But, it had evoked instant response. One comment on the comments section read —“We all know what quarter that is. What message does this give to students of the institute? It was a well timed article and more of them should be out here. Why are we so hung up about not damaging the repute of the institute, instead of being hung up about not damaging the students? I am disgusted by the way everything is happening here.”

The re-published article however, did contain several edits, with a few “sensitive places” toned down. The ‘hotbed of depression’ phrase for example, has been axed in the censored version.

An email questionnaire from Express to the faculty guide had not elicited a response at the time of printing.

However, IIT-Madras’ Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi told Express that the administration had nothing to do with the taking down of the article.

IT Madras May Have Tried To Censor Student Journal Article About Campus Suicide Problem - India Times

IIT Madras May Have Tried To Censor Student Journal Article About Campus Suicide Problem

Kunal Anand

October 23, 2015

IIT-Madras may have "toned down" an article written by a suicide survivor in the IIT Madras' official student journal, the New Indian Express reported. However, in 'It Is Always Darkest Before Dawn', published in the institute's official student journal The Fifth Estate, speaks about an anonymous suicide survivor's experiences. 

The New Indian Express reported that the article was taken down after “concerns from several quarters." 

“It Is Always Darkest Before Dawn”

The narrator speaks about how he attempts to commit suicide, before seeking professional help. The magazine's Executive Editor, Raghavi Rao Kodati told the New Indian Express: “We usually run articles through our faculty guide. This was not done in this case initially. When it was published, we received a suggestion from our advisor saying this might not be the best time to run it. On second thought, we too agreed and took it down for two days. A few sentences in the article like ‘IIT is a hotbed of depression’, were felt to be a bit strong. There were a few others which we felt needed editing,” she explained.

However, IIT-Madras’ Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi told Express that the institute 's administration did not influence modifications in the article.

IIT-M's suicide problem

Also read: Why Are So Many IIT Madras Students Trying To Kill Themselves?

In the last 30 days, IIT-Madras has seen 2 suicides. B.Tech student Rahul G. Prasad was found hanging in his Ganga Hostel room just 4 days ago. On September 21, N Nagendra Kumar Reddy, another student committed suicide. In the last five years, the institute has seen 10 suicides.

Article On Depression In IIT Madras Campus Magazine Censored By Faculty - Huffington Post

Article On Depression In IIT Madras Campus Magazine Censored By Faculty

HuffPost India  |  By Jacob Koshy

• Posted: 23/10/2015 09:56 IST Updated: 23/10/2015 10:00 IST

An article about the real-life experiences of a suicide survivor that was to be published in IIT Madras' official student journal was censored and toned down because of 'concerns raised by faculty,' according to a report in the New Indian Express. The latest version of the piece, however, doesn't contain any such descriptor and only mentions it as having undergone "very minor edits."

It Is Always Darkest Before Dawn was published anonymously on The Fifth Estate (t5e), IIT-Madras’ official in-house student journal, on October 20. Barely two hours later--the New Indian Express said-- it was taken down following “concerns from several quarters." The sticky phrase "the IITs are a hotbed of depression," which appeared in the original version of the article had been edited out.

The article is significant coming on the back of two suicides in the college within a month. On the 20th, Rahul G Prasad, 22, a B.Tech student from Kerala’s Kollam district, was found hanging from his room in Ganga Hostel on the campus. No suicide note was found. On September 21, N Nagendra Kumar Reddy, another student who committed suicide, had also left behind no clues to the reasons for his suicide. There have been about 10 suicides in the last five years at IIT-M.

The anonymous write-up in t5e, the student magazine begins: “I am a student here at IIT Madras, one of the most reputed colleges in the country and even the world. Yet, for all the laurels the IITs have, there has been one particular problem that we’ve not been able to eliminate — student suicides."

The article describes how a bright, competent and outwardly-happy student inexplicably started to feel depressed, tried to commit suicide, then opened up to family and sought psychiatric help and is now finally "sane and happy" again.

Also Read: India's Mental Health Crisis

Executive Editor of the magazine, Raghavi Rao Kodati told the New Indian Express that the article needed to be toned down.

“We usually run articles through our faculty guide. This was not done in this case initially. When it was published, we received a suggestion from our advisor saying this might not be the best time to run it. On second thought, we too agreed and took it down for two days. A few sentences in the article like ‘IIT is a hotbed of depression’, were felt to be a bit strong. There were a few others which we felt needed editing,” she explained.

The article that has gleaned 753 'shares' since publication has outraged some. One comment on the webzine read; “What message does this give to students of the institute? It was a well timed article and more of them should be out here. Why are we so hung up about not damaging the repute of the institute, instead of being hung up about not damaging the students? I am disgusted by the way everything is happening here.”

IIT-Madras’ Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi told Express that the administration had nothing to do with modifications in the article.

Malayali IIT-Madras Student Found Hanging Inside Hostel

Malayali IIT-Madras Student Found Hanging Inside Hostel

By Express News Service

Published: 20th October 2015 04:20 AM

Last Updated: 20th October 2015 05:18 AM

CHENNAI/KOLLAM:A final year IIT-Madras student was on Monday found hanging in his hostel room, in a suspected second such suicide in less than a month in the prestigious institution. The 22-year-old student of dual degree (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) was found hanging in his hostel room around noon.

Rahul Giri Prasad

 The student, Rahul G Prasad, a resident of Ganga hostel is a native of Mundakkal East in Kollam. He was quite popular on the campus, students said.

According to the police, he was last found chatting with his friends in his hostel around 9 pm on Sunday and later had a phone conversation.

 Rahul was supposed to appear for an internal test on Monday, but skipped it. Around noon, when his friends went to check on him, they found the room locked from inside and found him hanging from the ceiling fan on a nylon rope. No suicide note was found in the room, the police said.

 One of the victim’s friends, who stays in a nearby hostel, told Express that placement pressure could not be a reason for the suicide. “His placement would start only in December 2016 as he was a dual-degree student,” the friend said.

 Investigating officials as well as IIT-M students said Rahul had a few arrears. But professors told the police that he was a bright student and showed no symptoms of academic or exam-related stress.

 However, police sources said Rahul’s call records indicated frequent conversations with a girl till September.

Signs of Suicide?

Rahul had created a YouTube playlist titled ‘The End’ on Sunday. The song contained only one song called ‘Taro’ by an English band.

Another IIT-M student ends life - Business Standard

Another IIT-M student ends life

Press Trust of India  |  Chennai 

October 19, 2015 Last Updated at 19:02 IST

In the second such incident since last month, a 22-year old student of IIT-Madras allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room here today, police said.

The body of Rahul Prasad, a final year B Tech student hailing from Kerala, was found hanging from a ceiling fan, they said.

The incident comes barely a month after the suicide of IIT-M M.Tech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy in the hostel on September 21.

"He (Prasad) was found hanging in his room in Ganga hostel in a nylon rope tied to the fan. Today he had an exam, he, however, did not turn up and hence his friends came to his room to check and found him hanging," a police official told PTI.

Police retrieved the body by breaking open the room door and sent it to a government Hospital here for autopsy.

Prasad hailed from Kollam in Kerala and he was last seen by his friends by around 9 pm yesterday.

The student's family members have been informed and they were on their way here, he said.

"No suicide note was found... A case has been registered and further probe is on. As of now we do not know the reason for the suicide," he said adding the body had no injuries.

Why Are So Many IIT Madras Students Trying To Kill Themselves? - India Times

Why Are So Many IIT Madras Students Trying To Kill Themselves?

Kunal Anand

October 19, 2015

An Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) student was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his hostel room this morning. 

If this is confirmed as suicide, the pre-final-year student dual-degree Electrical Engineering will mark what has become a dangerous trend at the IIT.

It would be the second on-campus suicide by a student of the prestigious institution in the last 30 days. Just last month (22 September),  N Narendra Kumar Reddy, a 23-year-old IITian hung himself from his ceiling fan after returning from his village. The M.Tech student was being sponsored by a private construction firm.  

The pressure may have gotten to him

In 2014, IITs saw an estimated 14 student suicides, probably the highest ever across these elite colleges. In May 2015, Jitesh Sharma, a third-year student of chemical engineering at IIT Bombay, allegedly committed suicide, and his note mentioned poor performance in his exams as well as his worry about placements.  The inability to cope - often spiraling into depression - has haunted several students. "The world creates artificial expectations. There's peer pressure, family pressure, societal pressure.

"Unfortunately, for some students, their ambition is centred around pay packages. To their mind, their success will be judged only around their pay packages and placements," says Indranil Manna, director, IIT Kanpur.

Agrees Mohak Mehta, placement manager at IIT Bombay: "There are students blindly taking up computer science and engineering even if they aren't inclined towards it just because that's where the fattest pay cheques are. Parents call up the placement cell to find out the schools or branches getting the top salaries, and that's the one they pressurise their children to join."

Students slip into depression easily

At a leading IIT, a top 50 AIR holder in JEE took up computer science but could not cope with the pressure. He went into depression. "In this competitive environment, when someone starts slipping, stress just keeps building up from there," says a director at a top IIT, who does not wish to be named.

You could have been a topper all your life, but here you may be struggling to get by

"There are students coming into the system thinking that once they've made it to an IIT, things are easy from then on," says Parth Vaswani of IIT Kanpur. "They don't realise it's just the first hurdle. You could have been a topper all your life, but here you may be struggling to get by." Pressure builds up in various ways. There are students who see their batchmates bag coveted internships in the second and third years and suffer from comparison. There are those who have been faring poorly academically. Then there are students from humble backgrounds whose families have sold their land or put in all their savings for what they believe is the ticket to a better life. Some of these students don't even have the time to bond or make friends. "Stress and depression is more prevalent among people who are shy and quiet. There are counsellors on campus but they won't reach out for help," says IIT Bombay's Mohak Mehta.

IITs too have their own systems in place. There are counsellors on board, buddy systems, faculty advisors at hand to look out for students at risk. "We try to make sure there are multiple ways of reaching out to students," says Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras. "It's not always foolproof but we try and ensure we do everything we can."

Yet, IIT Madras sticks out when looking at news coverage of suicide. Between 2019-2013, it saw 8 suicides

IIT-M director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said they had implemented recommendations of M Anandakrishnan Report on increasing suicides in centrally-funded institutions. "Professional counsellors are available 24 hours a day on the campus and the identity of those seeking help is protected. We also have a mentoring system run by senior students in which a volunteer helps at least seven students individually," he said. 

Many students and professors find these measures quite ineffective.

"Instead of finding the root cause and building a collective support system of students and teachers, the measures implemented here are to silence or control students. Seniors working as mentors for MITR mostly spy on students who smoke or are in relationships," said a fourth year dual degree science student.

"Sir, since I joined in 2009, every year there has been a suicide. As a student I have the right to know about IIT-M's actions to prevent such unfortunate incidents. And even after the introduction of MITR (a guidance and counselling system), the story is same,"  A student wrote in a concerned mail after institute dean (students) L S Ganesh posted a condolence message following the suicide of a first year student.

After a condolence statement, the college has not announced a formal plan to change what it might be doing wrong - and what might be killings its students.

(Inputs from TNN | Economic Times)

IIT-Madras student ends life in second such incident within a month - First Post

IIT-Madras student ends life in second such incident within a month

Oct 19, 2015 17:53 IST

Chennai: In the second such incident in less than a month, a 22-year old student of IIT, Madras, allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room in Chennai on Monday, police said.

Rahul Prasad, a final year B Tech student from Kerala, was found hanging from a ceiling fan, they said.

The incident comes barely a month after the suicide of IIT-M M Tech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy in the hostel on 21 September.

"He (Prasad) was found hanging in his room in Ganga hostel in a nylon rope tied to the fan. Today he had an exam but he did not turn up and hence his friends came to his room to check and found him hanging," a police official told PTI.

Police retrieved the body by breaking open the room door and sent it to a government hospital here for autopsy.

Prasad hailed from Kollam in Kerala and he was last seen by his friends by around 9 pm on Sunday.

The student's family members have been informed and they were on their way here, he said.

"No suicide note was found... a case has been registered and further probe is on. As of now, we do not know the reason for the suicide," he said adding the body had no injuries.

Another IIT Madras student ends life, second incident in two months - dna

Another IIT Madras student ends life, second incident in two months

Tuesday, 20 October 2015 - 10:10am IST

"He (Prasad) was found hanging in his room in Ganga hostel in a nylon rope tied to the fan. Today he had an exam but he did not turn up and hence his friends came to his room to check and found him hanging," a police official said.

In the second such incident in less than a month, a 22-year old student of IIT, Madras, allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room on Monday, police said.

Rahul Prasad, a final year B Tech student from Kerala, was found hanging from a ceiling fan, they said.

The incident comes barely a month after the suicide of IIT-M M.Tech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy in the hostel on September 21.

"He (Prasad) was found hanging in his room in Ganga hostel in a nylon rope tied to the fan. Today he had an exam but he did not turn up and hence his friends came to his room to check and found him hanging," a police official told PTI.

Police retrieved the body by breaking open the room door and sent it to a government hospital here for autopsy.

Prasad hailed from Kollam in Kerala and he was last seen by his friends by around 9 pm yesterday.

The student's family members have been informed and they were on their way here, he said.

"No suicide note was found... A case has been registered and further probe is on. As of now, we do not know the reason for the suicide," he said adding the body had no injuries.

Meanwhile, in a statement, IIT Madras said "police are investigating the death and the institute is extending full cooperation to the investigation."

"At this time, we have no indication of the reason for death. The institute offers its heartfelt condolences to the student's family and near and dear ones for the unfortunate and devastating loss."

"We urge and request the media to respect and maintain the privacy of the individual out of consideration for his loved ones at this difficult time," IIT Madras said.

IIT-Madras student found hanging in hostel - Times of India

IIT-Madras student found hanging in hostel

A student of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology - Madras was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room. The fourth year student, Rahul G Prasad, who was pursuing his dual degree course in electrical engineering and was staying in the the third floor of Ganga hostel. He was a native of Mundakkal East in Kollam district of Kerala.

20 Oct 2015, 10:21AM IST

IIT suicides stir debate on campus priorities - TNN

IIT suicides stir debate on campus priorities

Vinayashree Jagadeesh,TNN | Oct 21, 2015, 02.35 AM IST

CHENNAI: With two suicides in a span of about 30 days, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has garnered a lot of attention. A section of students on the campus say the incidents are a reflection of the fact that amidst the emphasis on career growth through programmes in entrepreneurship, innovation and research, the IIT community is not doing enough to address social issues. 

They say there is a lack of discussion regarding social and psychological concerns that can raise awareness, enable bonding and help students cope with disorders. "More and more emphasis is on corporate issues or entrepreneurship lectures. There are hundreds of programmes being carried out every month but we hardly see any events on a public platform that can connect with students on personal or social issues like suicide," said a humanities student who wished to be unnamed. 

It is not easy to determine what leads to a suicide. Multiple factors may be involved in students taking extreme steps. But some say that campuses always tend to hush up such matters instead of openly talking about it to address students' concerns or to enlighten them on the subject. 

"There is a huge communication gap within our campus on even informing students regarding the incident. Many of us got to know of the suicides only through media reports. There is always a tendency to cover up such issues, which is not the right thing. There is no condolence or consolation meeting where all students are informed of such issues," said another student. 

IITM Director Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi said after the first suicide of M. Tech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy on September 21, a talk was arranged to students to raise awareness on such issues. "We are intensifying counselling and talks. Though there are a lot of counsellors available on campus, it depends on students to step forward and share. There is also a 24-hour helpline. Most often, we rely on students to come and tell us if there is a noticeable change in the behaviour of their friends because it is impossible to monitor each student among the thousands present in the campus," he said. 

While IITians admitted that counselling centres are helpful on campus, they pointed out that not everyone is ready to approach them. The stigma associated with depression or disorders makes it all the more difficult for them to talk about it. 

Some wondered if borderline cases may even muster the courage to seek help from a counsellor. This is where discussions help people to open up and address alienation or loneliness, said another student. 

"Academic pressure is a given but we cannot pinpoint the reason behind students taking such drastic steps unless close friends sense something bothering the individual. It also depends on the student's support group inside the campus," said a B. Tech student.

IIT-M Suicide: Rahul Created Playlist Titled 'The End' Before Signing Off - New Indian Express

IIT-M Suicide: Rahul Created Playlist Titled 'The End' Before Signing Off

By Express News Service

Published: 20th October 2015 04:25 AM

CHENNAI: A final year IIT-Madras student was on Monday found hanging in his hostel room, in a suspected second such suicide in less than a month in the prestigious institution.

Commenting on the incident, professors told the police that he was a bright student and showed no symptoms of academic or exam-related stress. However, police sources said victim Rahul G Prasad’s call records indicated frequent conversations with a girl until September.

Another aspect that has caught the attention of his friends is Rahul’s YouTube profile, which indicates that he created a playlist titled “The End” on Sunday prior to his suicide. He added only one video to the playlist — a song titled Taro by an English Indie rock band alt-J (?). It is a song about a war photojournalist couple, Gerda Taro and her romantic interest Robert Capa, who never married as Taro refused his proposal and died in their line of work. The song about fear and love is popular for its references alluding to a reunion only in death. “His profile name on the LAN was animaldude and he used to share quite a lot of interesting stuff,” a student said.

Rahul’s parents were informed about his suicide around 3 pm and were expected to reach the institution around 10 pm. His body has been kept in the Royapettah GH mortuary.

IIT-Madras: Two suicides in four weeks raise several questions - Indian Express

IIT-Madras: Two suicides in four weeks raise several questions

According to some professors its changing character with an increase in the number of students has led to an alienation of those who come from weaker backgrounds as the main reason for the suicides.

According to some professors its changing character with an increase in the number of students has led to an alienation of those who come from weaker backgrounds as the main reason for the suicides.

The suicide of an engineering student in the hostel room in IIT-Madras on Monday was the second such incident in less than a month, raising serious questions about the pressures on IIT-M students to succeed.

According to the police, Rahul G Prasad, 22, a B.Tech student from Kerala’s Kollam district, hanged himself in his room in Ganga Hostel on the campus. No suicide note was found. On September 21, N Nagendra Kumar Reddy, another student who committed suicide, had also left behind no clues to the reasons for his suicide. There have been about 10 suicides in the last five years at IIT-M.

Among the reasons being floated for Rahul’s suicide are a failed relationship and anxiety about his placement. His teachers says he was a bright student although he had a few papers to clear. His classmates said he failed to appear for a periodical test held on Monday. “Since there was no suicide note, we are now looking at various angles including a reported relationship that he had,” said the police officer.

If anything, the suicides highlight the stress levels for students at the institute. According to some professors its changing character with an increase in the number of students has led to an alienation of those who come from weaker backgrounds as the main reason for the suicides. “A section of students who are highly competitive and an increasingly ambitious faculty also create a tough academic environment here,’’ said a researcher.

An MA student said the change in the character of students and the entry of first generation learners also create conflict. “Even professors who would stand for rights and equality conveniently avoid Dalit students or those who come from poor backgrounds as a delay in completing a thesis or projects would affect their careers too. So many teachers don’t think it is useful to help these students; instead they prefer the best ones. All these realities strengthen the alienation of a section of students who eventually fail to convince themselves about their goals and purpose of life,” he said.

Mitr, earlier known as Guidance and Counselling Unit (GCU), a body comprising faculty and senior students is there to provide guidance and counselling “for students who are facing any curriculum-related or or personal problems”. Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi has denied criticism that Mitr is not being run properly: “it is playing a significant role and addressing several issues,” he said. He added that IIT-M has an effective suicide prevention mechanism and the campus hospital also has an advanced system offering psychiatric help.

A day after the suicide, IIT-Madras was silent on the death of the student. Administrators and departments were busy with arrangements for Saraswati Puja. The administration of IIT-Madras was silent on the news of suicide.

“We all learnt about the suicide from the media although we have multi-level communication systems and mail services. The suicide of a student remains a shame for many in this institution as we are all supposed to run after bigger dreams and career,” said a head of department.

Ramamurthi said they were helping the police in investigations and the parents to take Rahul’s body back to home. He said there was no official communication about the death as the police investigation was on. “We are giving all possible help to the family,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Facebook post by a student that is being shared by the students has this to say: “I don’t hear or see anything around me acknowledging the tragic end of someone who shared this campus space with us, who probably ate at the same mess, shared a classroom or hostel. This silence is deafening, disturbing. Have we become so indifferent, that we don’t pause for a while, that it doesn’t matter because it isn’t us or me?”

In the wake of the recent suicide, a student writes about his own battle with depression, and how he overcame it.

http://www.t5eiitm.org/2015/10/it-is-always-darkest-before-dawn/

It is Always Darkest Before Dawn

Posted on October 20, 2015 by T5E

This guest article about how a student battled depression and overcame it, has been removed because of concerns from several quarters. We’ll put it right back up in a few days.

Please join the institute community in mourning Rahul G Prasad’s untimely death and do write to t5e.iitm@gmail.com, if you have any opinion to share on the state of mental health among IIT students.

IIT Madras student commits suicide in hostel - Indian Express

IIT Madras student commits suicide in hostel

In the second such incident in less than a month, a 22-year old student of IIT Madras allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room on Monday, police said.

By: PTI | Chennai | Updated: October 19, 2015 8:32 pm

Rahul Prasad, a final year B Tech student from Kerala, was found hanging from a ceiling fan.

In the second such incident in less than a month, a 22-year old student of IIT Madras allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room on Monday, police said.

Rahul Prasad, a final year B Tech student from Kerala, was found hanging from a ceiling fan, they said.

The incident comes barely a month after the suicide of IIT-M M.Tech student Nagendra Kumar Reddy in the hostel on September 21.

“He (Prasad) was found hanging in his room in Ganga hostel in a nylon rope tied to the fan. Today he had an exam but he did not turn up and hence his friends came to his room to check and found him hanging,” a police official said.

Police retrieved the body by breaking open the room door and sent it to a government hospital here for autopsy.

Prasad hailed from Kollam in Kerala and he was last seen by his friends by around 9 pm yesterday.

The student’s family members have been informed and they were on their way here, he said.

“No suicide note was found… a case has been registered and further probe is on. As of now, we do not know the reason for the suicide,” he said adding the body had no injuries.

IIT-Madras student found hanging in hostel, no suicide note found - Hindustan Times

IIT-Madras student found hanging in hostel, no suicide note found

• HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Chennai |  Updated: Oct 19, 2015 17:34 IST

At least 68 students have committed suicide over the last three decades in the IITs. (AFP File Photo)

A final year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras was found hanging inside his hostel early on Monday.

The body of Rahul Prasad, a student of electrical engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling of his room by his friends in Ganga, one of the student hostels inside the campus.

The police suspect it to be a suicide but have not found any suicide note.

“At this time, we have no indication of the reason for death,” IIT Madras director said in a statement.

Prasad’s parents in Kerala’s Kollam have been informed about his death and are expected to arrive in Chennai later in the day.

His death comes nearly a month after another IIT-M student, 23-year-old Nagendra Reddy, was found hanging in his room in the Tamraparani hostel. The police suspected Reddy was depressed after he failed to clear an examination for a government job.

At least 68 students have committed suicide over the last three decades in the IITs. Experts say students kill themselves after failing in exams and not meeting expectations.

IIT Madras suicide: BTech final year student from Kerala found dead in hostel - IB Times

IIT Madras suicide: BTech final year student from Kerala found dead in hostel

By Sachin Jose

Updated: October 19, 2015 15:49 IS

In yet another suicide case at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, a final-year BTech student has ended his life in Chennai on Monday.

Rahul G Prasad, who hails from Kollam district of Kerala, was reportedly found hanging inside his hostel room and the cause of the suicide is yet to be ascertained.

This is the second suicide case to be reported at the Chennai-based technology institute within a month.

On 21 September, an M Tech student from Andhra Pradesh had committed suicide at IIT Madras. The 23-year-old was reportedly depressed about failing an entrance exam to study at an institution abroad.

Suicide cases have also been reported at IIT Guwahati and IIT Bombay over the past few months.

Article Published: October 19, 2015 15:49 IST

IIT Madras Student Found Hanging, Second Suicide in a Month - NDTV

IIT Madras Student Found Hanging, Second Suicide in a Month

Chennai | Written by J Sam Daniel Stalin | Updated: October 20, 2015 08:14 IST

CHENNAI:  A student of the IIT or Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, was found hanging in his hostel room this morning.

The 21-year-old was in his fourth year of electrical engineering.

The police say no suicide note has been found. The boy's parents in Kerala's Kollam are expected to arrive in Chennai tonight.

Police say the boy was last seen talking to another student from the hostel around 9 PM on Sunday.

"We've not secured any suicide note. We've asked for his academic records and call records as well," said an investigating officer.

A statement from IIT Madras said, "The Institute is extending full cooperation."

This comes nearly a month after another student of the same institute, 23-year-old Nagendra Reddy, was found hanging in his room.

The police suspected that Nagendra was depressed after he failed to ace an exam that would have helped him get a government job.

In a statement today, the IIT Madras director expressed deep regret at the second death and said: "At this time, we have no indication of the reason for death."

Over the last three decades, 68 students have killed themselves in the IITs, which produces some of the world's best professionals. Experts blame the suicides on the inability to manage disappointment and failure in school.

Story First Published: October 19, 2015 15:37 IST

IIT-Madras student found dead in hostel - The Hindu

CHENNAI, October 19, 2015

IIT-Madras student found dead in hostel

• STAFF REPORTER

On Monday morning, his friends found his body hanging from the ceiling of his room. Police suspect it to be a suicide, but no suicide note was found.

Rahul G. Prasad, a final year B.Tech (Electrical Engineering) student at IIT-Madras was found hanging inside his hostel room in the institution premises early on Monday.

According to police, Mr. Prasad was residing in the third floor of Ganga hostel. He was from Kollam in Kerala. He joined the institution in 2012.

On Monday morning, his friends found his body hanging from the ceiling of his room. Police suspect it to be a suicide, but no suicide note was found.

Police said, Mr. Prasad spoke to some of his friends at 9 p.m. on Sunday.

In September this year, a 23-year-old M.Tech student hailing from Kadapa district allegedly hanged himself in the Tamraparani hostel of IIT-M.