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Mumbai, IIT Bombay has launched mandatory pass-no-pass wellness workshops from August this year to strengthen the overall well-being of first-year students.
“The workshops are integrated as part of the curriculum, and students have to attend all four workshops per semester to pass the curriculum. We are getting a good response from students for these workshops, which is about one workshop in three weeks and there is no burden of examinations,” Professor Shirish B Kedare, director of IIT Bombay, told reporters on Friday.
Wellness workshops cover a wide range of topics beyond mental health, including life skills, healthy habits, substance use, sleep, nutrition and relationships — issues that have become more important as campus competition increases students’ stress, she said.
Kedare said the first semester focuses on basic well-being, while the second emphasizes personal growth, resilience, purpose, social contribution and life skills necessary for long-term success.
IIT Bombay has one faculty mentor for every 20 students, who will continue to mentor them during their campus visit and also guide them in the ratio of approximately 1 to 10.
He said, “Mentors are generally third and fourth year students, who talk to their junior first year students to informally understand their academic and personal problems, like an elder brother or sister. In total, 895 students have been designated mentors. We want to extend this to alumni.”
A survey by the institute found that students are facing constant academic pressure and adaptation challenges.
“We found that around 30-40 per cent of students undergo stress due to studies and leaving home at an early age, adjustment issues, relationship and family problems and other factors,” he said.
He said that to reinforce well-being, the institute is also exploring curriculum changes to shift from traditional teaching to a more learning-centred approach and assessment towards capability attainment.
Kedare said, “Progress is gradual. We have collaborated with 6-7 universities in the US, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Bristol, as well as an international alumni group that meets monthly with faculty and is reviewing teaching methods and assessment practices. This may ultimately lead to changes in the curriculum.”
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay and the Department of Higher Education are hosting the two-day National Wellbeing Conclave 2025.
The National Wellbeing Conclave 2025 will bring together 82 higher-education institutions including 20 IITs, 6 IIITs and 8 IIMs, 141 faculty and 130 students from across India to build a future where student and faculty well-being is an integral part of campus life.
Director of IIT Bombay said, “This conclave matters because it turns conversations into action. Instead of just raising awareness, the focus is on building frameworks, building partnerships, enabling early interventions and equipping both students and faculty with practical systems and capabilities.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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