NIT Rourkela's Institute Counselling Services saved lives of 8 students last year, say officials

NEW DELHI: The Institute Counselling Services (ICS) at National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, a dedicated initiative supporting students’ emotional, academic, and psychological needs, has helped save eight lives last year, according to officials. Since its inception in 2017, ICS has grown into a robust support network that includes professional counsellors, psychiatrists, faculty advisers and peer mentors, they said.

"Over the past year, NIT Rourkela's Institute Counselling Services has successfully intervened to save eight lives through its coordinated efforts. ICS conducted over 2,000 online and offline sessions with 987 students. "As a result, the institute successfully addressed the concerns of students fighting depression and self-harming symptoms and ensured complete support from its peer mentor and institute’s quick response team,” said R K Biswal, head of ICS, NIT Rourkela.

Biswal said that based on the counselling requests received, ICS counsellors have recorded that academic self-improvement is the most common reason for which students seek guidance and support for. "Many a times, students struggle with anger, procrastination, time management, focus, and decision-making which results in overthinking, low self-esteem and sleep problems which adds to their mental stress. Problem in relationships with parents, friends, and partners often lead to emotional isolation and confusion, as many students hesitate to share their feeling with others.

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Career-related anxiety impacting student well-being

"Career related anxiety is another challenge for which students seek guidance and support. They often feel unsure about their academic and career choices which in some cases have led to depression and substance abuse leading to financial struggles,” he said. In special cases, if needed, ICS also contacts the families of students and advises temporary break from the academic responsibilities. "Students are encouraged to focus on their recovery with parental support and can only return once they provide a medical certificate confirming their emotional stability.

Additionally, at the time of rejoining the institute, ICS psychiatric team also conducts a fitness assessment to ensure they are ready to resume their studies. "The institute has established a structured mentorship system where every 10 first-year students are paired with a senior batch student who is a trained mentor. These mentors ensure they navigate their juniors with the emotional and academic challenges in their first two-years at NIT Rourkela,” Biswal said.

Additionally, to ensure timely resolution of hostel-related problems, hostel wardens and assistant wardens have been made part of the ICS advisors with the other half being faculty advisors. "These advisors are trained to identify early signs of emotional distress. Since they are often the first point of contact for many students, they notify the ICS staff, which initiates a series of appropriate follow-up actions such as mentor counselling or psychiatric therapy sessions," the ICS chief said.