In a significant move aimed at addressing a mental health crisis, the Senate of IIT Kharagpur has formally approved the introduction of two pioneering well-being courses for its students. The decision, taken on Wednesday, comes against a tragic backdrop of a spate of student suicides reported at the premier institute this year.
Course Structure and Rollout Plan
The Senate, which is the top academic body of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, has cleared the "life skills" and "joy & success" courses. These initiatives are strategically designed to equip students with emotional intelligence and psychological resilience. The institute plans to roll out these courses starting January 2026.
The life skills course will be compulsory for all 2,000 first-year students and will carry one academic credit. In contrast, the joy & success course is an optional three-credit elective open to students from the second to the fifth year.
Rooted in Real Student Experiences
The curriculum for these courses was not developed in isolation. An official revealed that faculty members, student representatives, and administrators from both IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras collaborated extensively. They framed the course content based on the authentic, lived experiences of students navigating the immense pressures of campus life.
The development team addressed a wide spectrum of challenges commonly faced by students, including:
- Homesickness and feeling lost in a new academic environment.
- Academic stress from being in an undesired branch of study.
- Navigating newfound freedom, managing rejection, and coping with failure.
- Practical issues like managing money, food, and hostel life.
- Interpersonal challenges involving relationships, language barriers, and discrimination.
- The silent, heavy pressure of expectations from family, peers, and oneself.
A Hands-On, Experiential Learning Approach
A faculty member involved in the program detailed the interactive pedagogy for the life skills course. Nearly 20 faculty members will conduct the course in 10 batches, each comprising 200 students. The teaching methodology will move away from traditional lectures to more engaging formats.
Students will participate in small peer circles and interest-based micro-communities. The course will include strength-mapping exercises, community cooking sessions, campus exploration activities, and problem-solving workshops grounded in real hostel-life scenarios. A key component will involve faculty and seniors sharing their own stories of failure to normalize the experience and build resilience.
The core focus areas of the life skills curriculum are:
- Building a sense of belonging and fostering friendships.
- Navigating self-worth and personal identity.
- Understanding failure and developing resilience.
- Learning emotional first-aid and knowing how to seek help.
- Exploring campus life and finding personal purpose.
- Communicating effectively across cultures and differences.
The elective joy & success course will follow an experiential structure with 10 sessions, each lasting two and a half hours. Its core modules will delve into topics like habits, happiness, success, aspiration, awareness, reframing failure, managing emotions, and cultivating gratitude.
Leadership's Vision for Holistic Excellence
IIT Kharagpur Director, Professor Suman Chakraborty, emphasized the transformative goal behind these courses. He stated that the Senate's approval paves the way for empowering students not merely to excel academically but to flourish as well-rounded individuals.
"Through pioneering courses like these, we are empowering our students not just to excel, but to flourish — to build resilience, empathy, and meaning alongside academic brilliance," Director Chakraborty said. This initiative marks a proactive institutional shift towards creating a more supportive and mentally healthy educational ecosystem, aiming to prevent future tragedies and help students thrive in all aspects of life.
