Govt task force for IIT suicides

The constitution of the task force,to be discussed at the IIT council meeting on Wednesday,would have representation from students,alumni,deans,parents and teachers.

Some experts on the subject of suicide can also be considered for membership of such a task force,the official said,indicating it could be headed by an eminent person such as director of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.

The need for such a body was being increasingly felt as steps taken so far to address the problem including measures to de-stress students did not prove sufficient enough to check the problem of suicides,the official said.

Studies have suggested that most of the students took such extreme measure either due to stress-related disorder or had succumbed to depression.

In recent years,cases of suicides have been reported from several of the IIT campuses the latest one being from IIT Patna on September 1 where a 20-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the roof of her hostel as she was depressed with her performance in the elite institute.