Post death of student, IIT Kharagpur puts up SOS barcode for hostel boarders

KOLKATA: IIT Kharagpur authorities have installed a barcode behind the door of every hostel inmate to help boarders in acute depression, scanning which students can get assistance without letting others know.

The move came after an undergraduate student was found hanging in his hostel room a week ago. "We have repeatedly asked every hostel boarder that they should feel free to contact our counsellors when they feel depressed, or stressed. After the April 20 tragedy, we are again urging students to avail the counselling and support services, available 24x7 at the institute, and not hesitate to feel the need for such support," Dean of Students of IIT Kharagpur, Bhargab Maitra, said.

He told PTI that IIT Kharagpur has put up a barcode on the door of every hostel room, which after scanning with a mobile phone, a message “It’s okay to ask for help” pops up on the device. Under that message, there are links for 'Online Counselling and Emotional Wellness Coach (Your Dost),' 'Counselling Centre', 'B C Roy Online Appointments' and 'Internal Complaints Committee'.

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Barcode on door of every hostel room to prevent suicide

Tapping one of the links would take the distressed individual to the desired section and the student can talk to experts and cope with the situation in confidentiality. To a query, Maitra said the barcode has been installed in the past one week after the death of Aniket Walkar, "as we wish to reach out to students who will definitely go for scanning to find out the contents”.

Walkar, a fourth-year student in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, was found hanging in his hostel room on April 20 evening. The family of Walkar who hailed from Gondia district in Maharashtra called for a thorough investigation into the death after visiting the campus.

Maitra said the institute authorities have extended all support to the police who are investigating into the death of Walker. "The well-being, happiness and academic success of our students matter to us. They are our children," he said.

This is the second unnatural death of a student on the same campus this year. On January 12, the body of a third year undergraduate student Sawan Malik was found in his hostel room.