STEM the mental rot, optimise minds

In India, education is another name for competition. But the gap between demand and supply of seats in institutions, especially state-funded ones, is brutal. It gets wider at elite institutions like IITs, IIMs and NLUs. Even for those who survive the entrance ordeal, there’s more to follow. Crushing academic pressure deepens under-confidence, mental health struggles and isolation, especially among students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Too many, unable to bear the weight, snap – many taking things to the limit and attempting/committing suicide. But much before this stage is reached, learning capacities take a beating because of debilitating performance anxiety.

Which is why steps like IIT-KGP‘s latest move to relax rules to balance academics and well-being, and BITS Pilani-Goa adding stress management to its syllabus, are welcome. These tragedies, as the Supreme Court said in March, underscore the urgent need for a more responsive system to address factors that push students towards mental stress reaching a breaking point.

Calling it a ‘suicide epidemic’, the top court ordered the formation of a task force to tackle the campus mental health crisis. NCRB data show students made up 7.6% of total suicides in 2022, with 1.2% linked to career problems, and 1.2% to exam failure. Weak grievance redressal systems leave students vulnerable to academic harassment and discrimination, while many institutions lack urgent intervention mechanisms for those showing signs of distress.

Easing the rat race is an imperative. HEIs must rethink rigid evaluation systems and invest in building safer, more welcoming campuses. And this is not only about stemming self-harm. It is also about extracting the best out of able minds to optimise their talents.