Soothing kits, sound bath, pet therapy among IIT Bombay’s student wellness initiatives

Soothing kits, stress balls, sound bath, scribbling, and petting dogs are among the student wellness activities at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to aid learners in reducing stress, especially during the exams, an official said ahead of a national wellbeing conclave.

As part of its student wellbeing strategies, the IIT has planned to conduct four workshops in a semester which will be mandatory for all students. Third and fourth year students will act as mentors for the freshers and the institute will also seek help from alumni to guide the students in navigating academic life.

For the compulsory workshops, which have been added to the curriculum, IIT Bombay has hired full-time staff, life coaches with engineering background with training in wellness, and temporary staff. There are a total of 895 mentors including 130 for first-year students, 300 for second and third year, and 300 for MTech and PhD students.

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In their course, students will get 40 hours of extra-curricular activities such as sports, NCC, and eight hours will be dedicated to wellness workshops. They can take part in the student wellness workshops after classes and will be allowed to attend other sessions in case they missed the scheduled ones.

Changes in teaching methods, curriculum, assessment system

During the surveys, IITB has found that around 30-40% of the students undergo stress due to academics and other factors include leaving home at an early age, adjustment issues, relationship and family problems, the official claimed.

The institute is changing teaching methods and assessment dynamics to make it more learner-friendly. “We are trying to transition from teaching to learning and from assessment to capacity realisation,” the official said. Taking inspiration from international universities, the IIT is revising the curriculum and reviewing the assessment framework.

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During the exams, soothing kits are available for students which have chocolate, bells, affirmation cards, and texture -- for different senses. There are stress balls and “nice” pictures to make them feel calmer, the official further said.

In collaboration with the department of higher education, IITB is hosting a two-day National Wellbeing Conclave 2025 on November 22 to 23. Around 79 higher education institutions including 20 IITs, six Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and eight Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with 141 faculty members and 130 students are participating in the event. The conclave will witness student workshops, faculty workshops, symposia, panel discussions, among other activities.