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Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
IIT Kharagpur director introduces SETU outreach initiative for students
Advt Following four unnatural student deaths on campus this year, IIT Kharagpur on Friday launched a mental health and wellness framework titled SETU - Support, Empathy, Transformation and Upliftment - aimed at creating a resilient, inclusive and student-driven support SETU@IITKGP, a human-tech renaissance in higher education , it was formally launched on Friday by IIT Director Professor Suman initiative is designed not as a standalone support service, but as a deeply integrated, tech-powered and human-centric ecosystem, an institute spokesperson a bridge in Sanskrit, SETU is a metaphor for turning isolation to inclusion, vulnerability to strength, distress to resilience, mind to heart, tradition to technology. marking a bold paradigm shift, the spokesperson rollout follows the tragic deaths of four students in 2025 - Shaon Mallik (Jan 12), Aniket Walker (Apr 20), Mohammad Asif Qamar (May 4), and most recently Ritam Mondal (July 18) - which triggered widespread concern about the mental health and academic stress among spokesperson said, "SETU offers one-on-one therapy, psychiatric care, group sessions, 24/7 online counselling (via YourDOST) and campus-wide outreach without stigma. It also includes an AI-powered emotional health monitoring embedded in halls, academics enabling real-time, culturally sensitive support through anonymous check-ins and early-alert systems."The initiative also encompasses peer-led empowerment through groups like welfare committees and hostel-level units, making wellbeing a decentralized student-driven culture.
News18
4 days ago
- Health
- News18
IIT KGP director introduces SETU outreach initiative for students
Kolkata, Jul 25 (PTI) Following four unnatural student deaths on campus this year, IIT Kharagpur on Friday launched a mental health and wellness framework titled SETU — Support, Empathy, Transformation and Upliftment — aimed at creating a resilient, inclusive and student-driven support system. Christened SETU@IITKGP, a human-tech renaissance in higher education, it was formally launched on Friday by IIT Director Professor Suman Chakraborty. The initiative is designed not as a standalone support service, but as a deeply integrated, tech-powered and human-centric ecosystem, an institute spokesperson said. Meaning a bridge in Sanskrit, SETU is a metaphor for turning isolation to inclusion, vulnerability to strength, distress to resilience, mind to heart, tradition to technology. marking a bold paradigm shift, the spokesperson elaborated. The rollout follows the tragic deaths of four students in 2025 — Shaon Mallik (Jan 12), Aniket Walker (Apr 20), Mohammad Asif Qamar (May 4), and most recently Ritam Mondal (July 18) — which triggered widespread concern about the mental health and academic stress among students. The spokesperson said, 'SETU offers one-on-one therapy, psychiatric care, group sessions, 24/7 online counselling (via YourDOST) and campus-wide outreach without stigma. It also includes an AI-powered emotional health monitoring embedded in halls, academics enabling real-time, culturally sensitive support through anonymous check-ins and early-alert systems." The initiative also encompasses peer-led empowerment through groups like welfare committees and hostel-level units, making wellbeing a decentralized student-driven culture. PTI SUS MNB view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 22:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
IIT Kharagpur to launch AI-based emotional monitoring tool for ‘anonymous check-ins' as part of new mental health programme
In response to rising concerns over student suicides on campus, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is set to launch an AI-powered mental health and student welfare programme titled SETU, which is short for Support, Empathy, Transformation, and Upliftment. The programme will be rolled out as a pilot project and is expected to be extended to other IITs in the future. It combines AI-powered emotional monitoring with professional counselling and community-based support. The institute's in-house experts are developing the emotional health monitoring tool in collaboration with a tech consultancy firm. The tool will allow students to conduct anonymous self-assessments, with early-warning systems designed to flag emotional distress across academic, hostel, and administrative units. Professional mental health care will also be a part of the initiative, including access to licensed therapists, psychiatrists, and online counselling services such as YourDOST. The existing SARTH framework will be expanded to 'improve outreach and reduce stigma around mental health'. IIT Kharagpur will also continue to engage student-led groups such as the Student Welfare Group (SWG), Institute Wellness Group (IWG), and Technology Students' Gymkhana in mentorship and outreach activities. Officials said efforts would be made to build mental health awareness into regular campus life. As part of its community outreach, the institute plans to strengthen its student clubs and societies, which range from robotics and sustainability to gender rights and spirituality. Under the National Education Policy 2020, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for working on real-world social challenges. The institute is also set to introduce the programme called Campus Mothers — a volunteer initiative involving faculty, staff, and their family members, trained by mental health professionals. These volunteers are expected to act as informal touchpoints for students seeking emotional support. Meanwhile, Director Prof Suman Chakraborty visited Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence on campus this week to meet newly admitted first-year undergraduate students and their parents.
