IIT-Bombay easing study burden for freshers to cut stress as suicide jolts campus

IIT-Bombay is said that it is working out changes in its under-graduate curriculum to reduce stress on the students, a week after a fresher committed suicide in the prestigious institution. The lighter curriculum is expected to come into effect for the new batch that has joined in 2022.

The institute is likely to come out with a plan soon to ease the burden for the second year students as well.

IIT-B Director Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri said changes in the UG curriculum are being made to make it “more relevant and motivating to the students, besides to reduce some of the stress on the students. “

Chaudhuri also sought participation and suggestions towards this aim from students and colleagues “as there was surely more room for improvement’, to ensure that such an unfortunate incident never happens.”

The IIT-B Director said this in a communication addressed to the students and colleagues after a first year B. Tech. course student Darshan Solanki, 18, of Ahmedabad ended his life on the campus on February 12, sparking a nationwide outrage.

Chaudhuri said that along with the Mumbai Police, the IIT-B has also started its own investigation into the reasons behind Solanki’s tragedy.

The IIT-B has appointed a senior professor and its former Chief Vigilance Officer heading a committee comprising SC/ST student cell members comprising faculty and students, some student mentor coordinators and the In-Charge CMO of the campus hospital.

He said that this committee is actively meeting everyone who might have worthwhile information and also appealed to others having any more information to reach out to the panel probing Solanki’s death case.

The Mumbai Police have spoken with a large number of people, have taken Solanki’s phone and laptop for forensic analysis, details of which are awaited, and a team had also gone to meet his family near Ahmedabad earlier this week.