"For nearly a decade, while his son, Varad Nerker, lived away from home for studies, he called his father at dusk. No matter how busy he was, he would say, papa, bas awaaz sunni thi [I just wanted to hear your voice], recalls the 55-year-old government employee. That routine between the son and the father broke two years ago."
"On February 15, 2024, Varad died by what IIT-Delhi termed a suicide—one among 65 student suicides across the IITs and the eighth at IIT-Delhi since 2021. Varad was 26. Only days earlier, he had told his mother about intense academic stress and alleged pressure from his supervisor."
"If I had known what IIT-Delhi would take away from me, I would never have sent him, he told Al Jazeera, his voice softening. Oh, Varad Why did you leave so early?"
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) institutions face a severe student mental health crisis, with at least 160 deaths recorded over two decades and 69 in the past five years. IIT-Delhi alone has experienced eight suicides since 2021. Varad Nerkar, a 26-year-old MTech student at IIT-Delhi, died by suicide in February 2024 after reporting intense academic stress and pressure from his supervisor. His father, Sanjay Nerkar, expresses deep regret about sending his son to the institution. IIT admission represents India's highest academic achievement and social prestige, with approximately 1.3 million high school graduates competing annually through the Joint Entrance Examination. The crisis reveals systemic issues within these prestigious institutions regarding student mental health support and academic pressure.
#student-mental-health-crisis #iit-suicides #academic-pressure #higher-education-india #mental-health-support
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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