IITs consider dedicated cadre of mental health professionals for students, faculty and staff

Indian Institutes of Technology are considering the creation of a dedicated cadre of mental health professionals to serve students, faculty and staff, according to statements from several IIT directors. The proposal includes sanctioned posts for counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists. Without such posts and earmarked funding, even contractual appointments remain difficult, directors said.

The idea has been discussed for at least two years and was placed before the former education minister. IIT Gandhinagar is working on a structure that could apply across the system. There are 23 IITs, with student populations ranging from roughly 3,000 to 18,000 on each campus, plus faculty, families and other residents. Several campuses have recorded student suicides this year, but directors say the cadre proposal is not a direct response to those cases.

IIT Kanpur already operates a Centre for Mental Health and Welfare with 10 trained on-campus counsellors who visit hostels and departments, plus a senior psychiatrist. Director Manindra Agrawal has said academic pressure is inevitable at the institutes, so students need accessible support systems. Early detection matters because many students do not seek help themselves. Hostel staff, including cleaners, are being trained to notice withdrawal or missed meals and to alert the centre. More students approached counsellors this year than last.

IIT Bombay is reviewing wellness reforms after a student suicide in September, including a possible associate dean for student wellness and wellness secretaries in hostels. IIT Kharagpur appointed a dean of student wellbeing in 2025 and maintains about 25 full-time counsellors available around the clock. IIT Roorkee has drafted a mental health policy intended as a framework for all IITs. Demand for counselling and psychiatric help among IIT students has roughly doubled in two years, according to one platform’s data, with academic pressure, isolation and parental expectations cited as factors.

Creating permanent posts would allow the institutes to recruit and retain specialists rather than relying on short-term contracts that end when funding cycles close. The Rehabilitation Council of India guidelines are being used as a reference. Implementation would still require budget allocation and approval from the education ministry. Until then, existing counselling centres and peer-support programmes continue on individual campuses.

The practical difference for a student in distress would be a permanent, funded professional on site rather than a counsellor whose contract may not be renewed. Faculty and staff would also have access under the proposed cadre. Directors describe the step as a structural change that matches the scale of the residential communities the IITs already operate.