IIT Kharagpur Launches SAHACHAR for Student Mental Health

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) has intensified its efforts to address student mental health and suicide prevention on campus with the launch of SAHACHAR, an in-house wellness buddy programme aimed at strengthening peer support and identifying students experiencing emotional distress.

The move comes after multiple student suicide cases at IIT Kharagpur. At least three students died by suicide on the campus in 2026, including a 19-year-old second-year mechanical engineering student from Rajasthan who died on August 13. Five student suicide cases were reported at IIT Kharagpur in 2025.

The continuing cases have added to wider concerns over student mental health in IITs and other higher education institutions, particularly amid academic competition, performance pressure and other personal challenges faced by students.

IIT Kharagpur expands campus mental health measures

The institute's latest mental health initiative focuses on making suicide prevention a responsibility shared across the campus community rather than limiting intervention to professional counsellors.

IIT Kharagpur is training staff and students to recognise possible signs of stress and emotional distress and respond appropriately. Security guards, supervisors, hall managers and student mentors are among those being brought into the training programme.

The institute's Counselling Centre developed a dedicated training module for security personnel, supervisors and hall managers. The sessions focused on helping campus staff identify warning signs and respond when a student may be facing a mental health crisis.

The initiative is part of IIT Kharagpur's broader efforts to improve campus mental health and student wellbeing.

SAHACHAR wellness buddy programme launched

On September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day 2026, IIT Kharagpur formally launched SAHACHAR, its wellness buddy programme for students.

The programme was introduced in line with the year's World Suicide Prevention Day theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” and its call to action, “Start the Conversation.”

Under the initiative, student mentors are being prepared to provide peer support and help identify students who may be experiencing distress. The approach is intended to encourage students to speak about mental health concerns rather than remain isolated.

Student mentors received training under the institute's Student Mentorship Programme before the formal launch of SAHACHAR.

IIT Kharagpur also organised a Yellow Ribbon Drive, with students placing ribbons across campus as symbols of hope and support. The day's activities concluded with a candlelight pledge focused on encouraging open conversations about mental health and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.

Student suicide prevention cannot focus only on academics

Mental health experts associated with the institute have pointed out that student suicides are not always linked to academic performance.

Students at highly competitive institutions can face considerable pressure to perform, but emotional distress may also arise from personal relationships and other difficulties in their lives, both on campus and outside it.

A mental health expert associated with IIT Kharagpur said students across the world are facing increasing levels of stress, with the pressure particularly intense at institutions where academic performance is closely scrutinised.

The expert said even a relatively minor setback can have a serious impact on a student who is already emotionally vulnerable.

This makes early identification of mental health problems a crucial part of suicide prevention on university and IIT campuses.

IIT Kharagpur focuses on early identification of distress

According to the expert, effective suicide prevention in educational institutions requires participation from the entire campus community.

Students can play an important role as wellness buddies, but they need to be supported by faculty and other staff members who are adequately trained to recognise behavioural changes and warning signs of distress.

The approach places emphasis on creating a campus environment where students can seek help before their problems escalate into a crisis.

The focus on peer support through SAHACHAR, alongside training for campus personnel, represents IIT Kharagpur's latest attempt to strengthen its student mental health support system.

The initiative also reflects a growing concern across Indian higher education over the mental wellbeing of students and the need for institutions to develop stronger systems for counselling, early intervention and suicide prevention.

For IIT Kharagpur, the challenge now is to ensure that these interventions become part of everyday campus life — where recognising distress, starting a conversation and seeking help are treated as normal parts of student wellbeing rather than signs of weakness.