IIT Kharagpur launches SETU framework to strengthen student mental health support

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT KGP) has introduced a new mental health and student welfare framework titled SETU, short for Support, Empathy, Transformation, and Upliftment.

The announcement was made on July 14 by Director Dr Suman Chakraborty, who emphasized that the initiative aims to create a more holistic support system for students beyond traditional counseling.

“SETU includes an upgraded counselling center, an AI-driven student welfare app, campus wellness groups, hostel welfare units, and student engagement projects. The framework comprises these five pillars working together,” said Chakraborty.

The newly launched “campus mothers” initiative is one component of this broader framework.

It will involve elderly female volunteers from the campus community offering informal emotional support to students.

The initiative has sparked debate, with some mental health professionals criticizing it for perceived gender bias and lack of professional oversight.

Addressing the criticism, Chakraborty clarified, “We cannot look at the ‘campus mothers’ initiative in isolation. It is not designed to replace trained psychologists but to supplement them with a motherly touch. We aim to make student welfare more holistic and not centered only on professional counselling.”

He added, “This is not a gendered program. Rather, this is a gender balancing program to engage more women in student welfare initiatives. Ninety percent of the committees and programs are already dominated by men.”

The campus mothers will be trained by professional psychologists to ensure ethical and respectful engagement with students. The program is set to launch on July 25, coinciding with the arrival of new students.

The full SETU framework will also include upgraded counseling services such as 24/7 online access, stress management workshops, group therapy, and hostel-level outreach programs.

Chakraborty noted that these upgrades are in their advanced stages and that a team of external experts will visit the campus on July 21 for consultations.

Referring to past incidents involving student suicides and unnatural deaths on campus, the director underscored the urgency of shifting focus to preventive care.

“Earlier, student well-being was mainly centered around the counselling center. Whoever faced any trouble would be directed there. But with a campus that has 20,000 students, the counseling center alone should not be tasked with their welfare. We must assume that at some point in time, each of those students would require emotional support, and that support should be available at all levels,” he said.

Currently, IIT KGP’s counselling center has about 15 on-campus counselors. As part of SETU’s decentralization, hostel peers will be actively involved in the early detection of distress signals.

“Hostel peers can play an important role in vigilance and in identifying and flagging sudden and complex behavioral changes. Students can normalize openness and provide accessible support to each other in ways no top-down model can replicate. In fact, we will have welfare units granulated up to each wing of every hall of residence,” he explained.

In addition to SETU, Chakraborty also announced that a parallel campus security plan is under development.

“Campus security not just includes safety of women but also preventing instances of physical attacks, substance abuse, etc. However, tightening security does not mean harassing people unnecessarily. We are planning to develop similar pillars to bolster campus security, and like in SETU, tech will be used for improved data management. We will prepare for the best, but we cannot guarantee outcomes,” he said.

The new security plan comes amid heightened concerns following recent crimes at educational institutions across West Bengal, including RG Kar Medical College, South Calcutta Law College, and IIM Calcutta.

With SETU and the forthcoming security reforms, IIT Kharagpur aims to establish a more responsive, inclusive, and technology-enabled support system for its students.