Although Goa is an affluent and literate state, there is a high prevalence of mental health problems, including depression and stress. A study found that 15-25 per cent of individuals attending primary health centres in Goa experienced depression and stress-related issues. Of these about 5 to 10 per cent young adults in Goa experienced mental health issues.
Students often experience significant stress and pressure from academic institutions and parental expectations, which can negatively impact their mental health and well-being. They may feel the need to excel academically, leading to anxiety and stress. Excessive homework, projects, and exams can contribute to burnout and overwhelm.
Comparing oneself to others and the desire to maintain a certain status can add to the pressure. The fear of not meeting academic expectations can lead to anxiety and stress. Feeling overwhelmed and depleted by academic demands can lead to burnout and a decline in motivation.
The death by suicide of a 20-year-old student Krishna Kasera at BITS Pilani’s Goa campus in his hostel room raises serious concerns about the atmosphere, competitiveness, supportive environment and safety of students in high profile institutions. This is the third death by suicide at BITS campus Goa in five months, raising serious concerns about what is driving students to take such desperate measures.
The parents of the students have squarely blamed the institution in this case and have refused to accept the body or allow the post mortem unless they get satisfactory answers from the institution. The mother is totally shattered. The family has argued that when they pay such high fees, the institution should also look after the safety of the students and keep an eye on their well-being and not only focus on money.
The family of Krishna Kasera has stated that there were no CCTV cameras in the hostel area to monitor the movement of the students nor other facilities. They have alleged that even as Krishna was confined to his room for hours, no one noticed it and it was only when they phoned the warden that he went and found that the door was locked from inside.
Krishna’s mother told the media that her son messaged her that he was unwell, so she advised him to take some medicines. But when the boy did not respond, she thought he was busy. They have squarely blamed the institution for not doing any checks on students and have also alleged that although he went to a counselor, nothing was done. The pattern of three deaths in the same pattern raises serious doubts about the institution, they pointed out.
In a highly competitive job market, not only in premier institutions, where the fees are indeed exorbitant, but in other institutions, counseling and student welfare is of utmost important. Especially in institutions which have hostels and where the parents and family support is absent, institutions through their counselors have to take special care to keep a watch on students and closely monitor them for signs of stress. The warden too has to keep a watch on students to look out for signs of distress among students, especially ahead of examinations.
Parents take tremendous care to raise children from birth to adulthood. At this vulnerable age, both parents should not put undue pressure on their children and institutions should ensure that students are not stressed out by loaded curricula and all necessary measures should be taken to ensure that syllabus is completed much ahead of schedule and examinations are spaced out so that students have enough time to prepare.
Most of all what is lacking in Indian institutions of higher education is the freedom to clear the semesters at the students’ own pace. In most institutions, students have to complete the course in the scheduled years or else a student is declared failed. Students should be allowed to clear the semesters within a reasonable time beyond the academic calendar and still get grades like any other students who adhered to the scheduled years of the course.
Death by suicide is an utter shame and reflects badly on the educational system as a whole and so called elite institutions in particular. Something radical has to be done by the policy makers and by the UGC and so called elite institutions in particular to see that precious lives are not lost due to faulty structuring of the educational curricula. Strict safeguards too have to be put in place by way of regular and incremental counseling of all students and necessary support systems should be put in place. These three deaths by suicides should serve as a telling reminder about our deficient educational system and that urgent steps need to be taken to rectify the same on a war footing.