VASCO
THE GOAN: How is the management dealing with the deaths of students, now that there is a 6th case?
BITS PILANI: The management, while in grief, is trying its level best to deal with such a complex and challenging situation by strengthening its existing facilities like the counselling centre and student led peer mentor programme, while introducing new and improved programmes such as Sethu, Mitr, peer buddy (Rahat mentored) programme, and other student wellness initiatives. The management is committed to student safety, security, wellness and progression.
TG: The South Collector states that the Supreme Court-mandated guidelines are in place, including a 24x7 helpline, where are the fault lines?
BP: Yes, the Supreme Court-mandated guidelines are in place and the National Task Force constituted by the Supreme Court to monitor students’ mental health in Higher Educational Institutes is visiting the campus from February 8-10, 2026.
The Institute has in place a Mental Health Policy as mandated by the Supreme Court with a Nodal Officer to oversee the processes. The Institute has appointed a mental health expert as Adjunct Faculty (Institute wide) and Wellness In-Charge in the Goa campus. It has an active Counselling Centre (MPower) with therapists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists at the supreme court mandated ratio of students:counsellors. The Medical Centre offers help with doctors, nurses and a visiting psychiatrist. The campus has a 24x7 counselling helpline through Myndwell for campus students. The Institute maintains it is unfortunately experiencing a suicide contagion.
TG: Vaishnavi had a history of depression. What did BITS Goa do to help her out of it?
BP: BITS Goa identified that she had depression and counselled her at the campus counselling centre (MPower) initially. Subsequently, her parents were informed and she was taken home for parental care. She was undergoing treatment under medical supervision of a psychiatrist at Bengaluru, monitored by her parents. She returned to the campus with a fitness certificate from the psychiatrist.
TG: Does the Institute screen/monitor students for mental health issues or does it expect students to come forward and avail services at campus, including counselling?
BP: The counselling support provided through Mpower (offline) and Myndwell (24x7 dedicated counsellors exclusively for BITS Goa online) are support systems for students. They follow the Mental Health Act which protects identities of individual and allows disclosure of names only when self-harm tendency is detected. In such cases, MPower/Myndwell informs us and we have an SOP of keeping the student under observation till the parents arrive and the student is sent home.
However, when students might need counselling help, we approach students and either the student is sent to the counselling centre or the counsellor visits the student in the hostel. We have mobilised other mechanisms such as visit by Mitr faculty and student-led peer buddy group to reach out to students. Recently, the Institute screened/assessed students (as well as faculty and staff) for their mental health using the services of Myndwell.
TG: BITS students undergo a rigorous selection criteria where they are tested at various levels. Is academic pressure genuinely an issue here? Is pursuit of double-degree causing the headache for students?
BP: BITS is a pioneer in offering transformative education to students for over 6 decades, with the same being offered at the Goa Campus for over 2 decades. Our Science students are offered a second degree in Engineering so that they fulfil their dreams to establish themselves as Engineers, without experiencing peer pressure only as Science graduates. Our training has been successful through the years, with 90-95% placements. We have academic flexibilities like Continuous Evaluation framework, where learning is assessed through frequent quizzes, practical, and assignments, Open Book Exams, Option of selecting Best of quizzes (N-2), Provision to take Make-Up Exams, Relative grading, Option to seek reevaluation and grade scrutiny, Repeat or drop a course, Academic Counsellors and mentors, that BITS provides, with students customising their courses and time table, with opportunities for projects, paid internships, experiential learning, courses in humanities and finance for holistic development. No students fail in our system. They can graduate early or late at their own pace.
TG: Past records suggest that students get into narcotics and alcohol. How does the institute deal with such cases?
BP: X-ray baggage scanners have been installed at the gate, all hostel corridors have CCTV coverage, hostel superintendents and hostel assistants have been trained to patrol and keep a watch on students, the boundary wall height has been raised and the wall is covered with concertina/barbed wire to prevent influx of substance from across the wall, security guards are spread across the hostel and one dedicated guard for each hostel.
We have strict disciplinary committee guidelines to deal with indiscipline cases including substance abuse. Students are given punishments ranging from community service up to one/two semester registration cancellation, depending on the gravity of the act.
Recently, a student has been expelled from the Institute. Any information received during the disciplinary committee proceedings is communicated to the police.
TG: Why does the college not respond or come clean on safeguards/measures at the campus?
BP: The college has shared details of all the initiatives taken and measures implemented with all the government bodies such as CM’s office, Governor, Collector, DHE, DHS, PMO, Ministry of Higher Education, local MLA, and others. This is the first time a media house has sought information on the measures and we are providing the same.
TG: Is there any grey area, or anything that the college still needs to do?
BP: We have consulted experts in the field of mental health and suicide prevention from Goa and across the country and measures implemented include recommendations from such experts.
While we have taken a repertoire of initiatives for student wellness, accepted suggestions from all stakeholders and well-wishers, implemented Supreme Court mandated guidelines, are leaving no stone unturned to stop the suicide contagion, we feel that we can improve the human connect on campus for better outcome.
