IIT Delhi expands mental health and grievance support for students

IIT Delhi has outlined a series of measures aimed at easing academic pressure and strengthening mental health, mentorship and grievance support for students, saying their well-being remains a fundamental priority.

The measures include greater academic flexibility, access to round-the-clock mental healthcare, expanded student mentorship programmes and multiple channels for raising and tracking grievances.

The institute's move comes in the wake of the recent death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who died after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination, bringing renewed attention to student stress, academic pressure and institutional support systems at the country's premier technical institutes.

Greater academic flexibility

IIT Delhi said its revised curriculum, introduced in 2025, has reduced first-semester credit requirements and added life-skills courses to help students manage their academic and personal development.

First-year departmental classes have also been limited to between 30 and 60 students, while the institute has sought to minimise examinations on weekends while retaining flexibility in credit distribution.

In another significant change, IIT Delhi removed the minimum CGPA requirement for the BTech degree from the 2024-25 academic year, allowing students greater flexibility in completing their programmes.

Round-the-clock mental health support

IIT Delhi said students can access mental healthcare around the clock through counsellors and psychiatrists, including specialists from AIIMS and VIMHANS.

The institute said expenses for external mental healthcare are fully reimbursed. It has also established an emergency response protocol and Academic Unit Wellness Committees to strengthen support at the academic-unit level.

Its UG Buddy Programme has been expanded to include PG and International Buddy programmes from 2025, giving students additional peer-support networks.

The National Resource Centre for Value Education in Engineering has also incorporated yoga and meditation modules into its wellness initiatives.

Academic help and grievance redressal

Students facing academic difficulties can seek support through the Academic Progress Group, which has provided evening tutoring and assistance with credit backlogs since 2023.

IIT Delhi also highlighted several mechanisms designed to strengthen interaction between students and faculty. These include the Student-Teacher Interaction Council, semester-wise meetings, faculty office hours, project guidance, hostel engagement and feedback through Class Committees.

Students can raise grievances through a centralised ERP portal that provides reference tracking. Other channels include the Board for Student Welfare, SC/ST and OBC cells, hostel wardens, and the Internal Complaints.