‘Nobody cares’: Long hours, supervisors’ control add to PhD scholars’ mental health crisis at top institutes

NEW DELHI: Three months after the death of Ankit Yadav, a first-year PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, his fellow scholars say it’s business as usual on campus. Yadav took his own life and his suicide led to furore over the work conditions of research scholars, even in top institutions.

A committee set up to look into the issue has made its recommendations. The report isn’t public yet. IIT Kanpur director told Careers360 in an interview that the recommendations will be implemented. Meanwhile, researchers’ experience on campus remains the same.

“Nobody cares about scholars' well-being on campus. After every suicide, everyone gets back to their life,” a scholar said, asking not to be named. Yadav’s death in February led to protests and an open house, demanding anonymous redress systems for complaints and a structure of mental health support for postgraduate students. However, students feel no progress has been made.

“This is the third death of a PhD scholar on IIT Kanpur campus in a year,” said another scholar from the campus. According to a survey conducted in January 2024 by Vox Populi, a student journalism body of IIT Kanpur, 80% of the 200 PhD scholars reported experiencing anxiety and various mental illnesses. The deaths have drawn attention to the conditions in which researchers work and the treatment they receive from supervisors. They demand fixed work hours and leave structure, decentralisation of power and grievance redress systems that function in the institutions.

“The broader issue is bullying and harassment of PhD scholars by their supervisors. Over the last couple of years, there have been reportedly 12 cases of suicides and attempted suicides, allegedly due to harassment by their supervisors,” said Ishan Mata, an activist tracking deaths of PhD scholars through applications filed under the Right to Information Act since 2022.

There have been cases in All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Delhi; Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali and Kolkata; Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer; IIT Madras, Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Allahabad; Sardar Vallabh Bhi Patel University of Agriculture and Technology (SVBUAT) and Central University of Kerala. In two cases (AIIMS New Delhi and IISER Mohali), students were saved. However, in other cases students have reportedly died, he added.

PhD scholar: ‘Power lies with supervisor’

Scholars from across institutions said they are pressured to work long hours and at the whims of their professor-in-charge (PI) who can dismiss their work at any point of their tenure.

A supervisor has extraordinary power over a PhD candidate. As a scholar from IIT Bombay explained, “A PhD is very qualitative and the whole power lies with the supervisor and the research progress council or committee."

Scholars and activists have highlighted the grim conditions of scholars in technical and science-focused institutes across the country. Mata has tried to obtain reports of enquiries set up after suicides. While many institutions simply don’t reply or furnish incomplete information, he found PhD students face acute mental stress during their research journey.

“My experience with filing RTIs highlights the broader issue is usually with PI. A research study from 2021 stated that almost 68% of PhD students suffer from some sort of depressive disorder with 27% of them having moderate to severe depression disorders across two universities in Kerala. Similar numbers have been reported by other studies focussed on PhD scholars' condition in India," he added.

Also read Is the PMRF creating unequal fellows in India’s elite research institutions?

Mata said that an IISER Mohali scholar, who left his PhD midway and blamed his supervisor for severe harassment, led him to leave the programme. “He apparently came forward later because the same PI was allegedly harassing many other scholars in the department. A student from the same attempted suicide, while another left due to harrassment,” he said.

Students allege that nine other scholars had left the chemistry department lab where Yadav worked, allegedly due to the supervisor’s harassment. However, Careers360 was unable to contact any of them.

In another case, an IISER Mohali PhD student told Mata he had been physically assaulted by his supervisor in an email Careers360 has seen.

A PhD student from IIT Kanpur, who did not want to be named, said, “If a scholar is doing anything well, the supervisor is ready to take the credit. But if the scholar has made any mistake, then they blame them without any responsibility or onus.”

A research study, Examining Toxic Supervision in Higher Education in India, published in a journal on higher education in 2022, highlighted the common traits that scholars reported their supervisors displayed – “negative personality, abusive supervision, abuse of power, poor mentoring and unstable mood”. One scholar described their supervisor as being “inhumane”.

“Debilitating mental health was found to be alarmingly common. A few students recounted having one or more episodes of emotional meltdown, while others felt broken and tired. A lot of them described themselves as feeling agonized, restricted and discriminated against. Furthermore, all of them viewed their PhD journey as an emotionally exhausting experience,” write Mohammad Ghazi Shahnawaz and Nasrina Siddiqi.

‘PhD students have no voice’

Another PhD student from IIT Kanpur said that during the general body meeting following Yadav’s death, students spoke of panic attacks during meetings with PIs that led to hospitalisation, forced semester breaks and health issues due to long hours of work in labs.

“At the meeting, a student said that the professor pushed scholars to work for 12 hours, which led to spine problems for a scholar. Later, he was asked to leave and the reason cited was that he was not capable of working in the lab,” he said. “Many scholars' careers have been destroyed.”

Complaints rarely bring relief. An IIT Bombay researcher alleged that research progress councils favour the supervisor. “Councils are made to ensure unfairness does not exist and neutrality between the PI and student is maintained. However, the issue is that the members of RPCs are usually appointed by the supervisors. So, if a student has a problem with the supervisors, the RPC is of no use. The entire troubleshooting process doesn't work,” she explained.

Also read ‘Justice took 4 years’: How Vikrant Singh fought against IIT Guwahati and won

Scholars find themselves without a voice. “Students have nothing in terms of power. This combination is bad for students who are already suffering from mental health issues and it can also trigger mental health issues because there is constant anxiety of not knowing what will happen next,” stated another PhD student from campus.

PhD programs: Long hours, no leave

Researchers have alleged being pushed to work for long hours and without leave. “In a few labs, whenever students ask for leave, they are denied.”

Leave must be approved by the PI and is rarely granted. “Despite University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines providing for leave, it's not easy to get approvals,” said an IIT Delhi scholar who also described research as a “marathon” in which students are asked to work late nights, even on Sundays. “Working late hours should be a choice, not a force. Like other work roles, research is heavy-lifting work but requires balance. We are expected to sit in the lab, day and night, even on national holidays. The choice of working on national holidays or Sundays should be a scholar’s freedom and choice,” he stated.

Grievance redress and punishment

Students at IIT Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur have found their institutions’ counselling services wanting. “The counselling services are equally bad everywhere. Many times, to get a single appointment, students have to wait for three months and when asked the reason for delay, students are asked to visit the campus hospital for an emergency without any reason,” a student from IIT Bombay said, recounting her own experience.

During the general body meeting at IIT Kanpur, a student complained that counsellors fail to maintain secrecy. “Counselors often tell their supervisors about the issues. If the counsellor is doing this, what is the point of the support? There’s a breach of confidentiality and the scholar suffers,” a student said.

The systems that exist on campuses to address mental health issues are insufficient. “There is a need for more equipped counselors with anonymous feedback mechanisms,” stated a student from IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur director, Agarwal said an anonymous feedback mechanism has been started.

Once a PhD scholar in mathematics who lost a friend to suicide, Mata says he has detected a pattern. “Every time a suicide happen, no strict action is taken against the PI, the institute never blames professors but students who are left alone to fight this battle. Nothing has been done in many previous cases of suicides and complaints by scholars or their families.”

Fair enquiry

“A positive, healthy environment is all we demand, where students can speak with each other,” said a scholar from IIT Kanpur.

PhD scholars have a host of suggestions on what would create a healthier work environment. They have no faith in inquiry committees set up to look into deaths and demand that they should be free of academics and involve outsiders to prevent bias.

Further, they demand a strong student body to represent them and give them a say in policy-making, another scholar from IIT Bombay pointed out. Plus, the leave approval system should be taken out of the hands of the PI.

Also read DST scheme an ‘eyewash’; fellowships delayed months, project approval takes years, allege women scientists

Students also ask that they not be judged for getting involved in extracurricular activities. “There needs to be a balance of research and other activities, otherwise PhD gets very monotonous,” said a student.

Harjit Bhatti, former president of the Resident Doctors Association in AIIMS Delhi, highlighted the lack of structure for PhDs. “While some complete their thesis in three, some complete it in four to five years, the power lies at the hand of the PI, which leads to challenges. A structure is needed with proper guidelines from the ministry of education. We have asked that All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) submit guidelines after discussion with scholars. Currently, an unregulated exploitation is going on which can be regulated with guidelines,” he stated.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.