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India Today
a day ago
- Health
- India Today
IIT Kharagpur creates new dean position to focus on students' mental well-being
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, IIT Kharagpur has appointed a dedicated dean to oversee students' mental health and overall well-being. The move comes in the wake of four suspected student suicides in campus hostels since Chakraborty, a professor at the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, assumed charge as the Dean of Students' Well-being on August 5. According to IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty, the role has been created exclusively to support students emotionally, help them navigate challenges, and encourage their holistic the Dean of Student Affairs,who primarily handles academic and administrative matters the new dean will focus entirely on mental health concerns. 'He will not just be a figure in an office; he will engage with students directly, both in groups and individually, acting as a friend, teacher, and mentor,' the director said. Professor Chakraborty is already familiar with student concerns through his involvement in BTech induction programmes. The director emphasised that the position is likely the first of its kind in Indian institutes, reflecting a growing awareness of the need to actively address emotional well-being alongside to questions about whether the creation of the post was linked to the recent deaths, the director said the institute's priority is to ensure that no student feels overwhelmed by pressure. He noted that while academic and extracurricular programmes continue with the same vigour, socio-economic changes may have affected students' mental states. The administration, he added, has also been engaging with parents regularly to ensure students feel supported, even during Kharagpur currently houses around 16,000 students across 21 hostels. The most recent incident occurred on July 18, when fourth-year mechanical engineering student Ritam Mondal was found dead in his hostel room. Three other hostel residents have died in similar circumstances since the start of the year.- Ends
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
In a first, IIT-Kharagpur appoints its first 'Dean of Student Well-being'
In a historic step among the Indian Institutes of Technology, IIT-Kharagpur has appointed Professor Arun Chakraborty as its first Dean of Student Well-being. The appointment was unveiled during the induction programme for the new BTech batch on July 26. This marks a deliberate move to ensure students' mental health receives dedicated attention—distinct from the traditional administrative role of the Dean of Student Affairs. Chakraborty, from the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, described the role as both urgent and deeply needed. He emphasised his availability to students 24/7, encouraging them to seek support irrespective of how minor a concern may seem. 'We are here like parents,' he assured students. The appointment comes amid a backdrop of four student suicides over the past seven months, the most recent being a mechanical engineering student in July. The new post is designed to bring a more personalised and proactive response to student welfare. IIT- Kharagpur's work on SETU IIT-Kharagpur has launched several innovative measures under the SETU framework (Support, Empathy, Transformation, and Upliftment), including an AI-powered mental wellness platform, revamped counselling services (Sarth), 'campus mothers', student task forces, and workshops on managing stress. These efforts are especially vital considering the institute's scale—home to more than 16,000 students across 21 hostels—highlighting the need for a role focused exclusively on well-being. The administration also plans to gather regular feedback from students on the effectiveness of these measures, ensuring the programmes evolve to address emerging challenges. With a culture of openness, early intervention, and empathy, IIT-Kharagpur aims to set a benchmark for student welfare in higher education institutions across the country.
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Ozone pollution puts essential crops in peril, reveals new study
The world's essential food grains wheat, rice and maize are facing a silent threat from escalating surface ozone pollution. A groundbreaking study by Professor Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath and his team at the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL), IIT Kharagpur, has sounded the alarm on a growing but under-recognised threat to India's food security: surface ozone pollution. Published in the journal Environmental Research, the study titled 'Surface ozone pollution-driven risks for the yield of major food crops under future climate change scenarios in India' combines historical trends with future projections using data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase-6 (CMIP6). According to the researchers, potential oxidant surface ozone is increasingly damaging crop productivity by infiltrating plant tissues and disrupting essential physiological functions, particularly photosynthesis. Under high-emission scenarios like SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5, wheat yields could decline by up to 20, while rice and maize could see losses of around 7% each after 2050. The Indo-Gangetic Plain and Central India are identified as especially vulnerable, with ozone exposure during crop growth stages potentially exceeding safe limits by up to six times. The threat is compounded by what the study refers to as a 'climate penalty' during India's rabi and post-kharif seasons, which is expected to worsen surface ozone levels. Stating that the situation is deeply concerning, the study noted that findings have significant implications for our agricultural productivity and our progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and no poverty. Despite the launch of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to tackle urban air pollution, agricultural regions continue to be overlooked. The study stresses the urgent need for crop-specific air quality policies and the promotion of clean energy and low-emission farming techniques. The research also explores biological mechanisms of ozone damage, noting that about 45% of surface ozone is absorbed through plant stomata, generating harmful reactive oxygen species that degrade critical enzymes such as RuBisCO. This disruption in photosynthesis reduces crop yields significantly. While several previous studies in India have used short-term data to estimate yield loss from ozone exposure, this study stands out for its comprehensive assessment of future scenarios. It urges policymakers to transition from high-emission development pathways to more sustainable models such as SSP1-2.6, which could help limit crop damage and preserve national and global food security. As India remains a major exporter of food grains to Asia and Africa, any significant loss in agricultural output could have global repercussions. The researchers call for immediate and coordinated actions to integrate air quality management into agricultural policy frameworks.
