1 hr ago
After IIT Bombay Suicide, Students Describe Crushing Academic Pressure
Students at IIT Bombay said college can feel exciting at first but later become very stressful.
Many students have already spent years preparing for the JEE entrance exam.
After entering college, they may compare their grades, internships and future jobs with those of their classmates.
Some students can feel unsuccessful even when they receive very high marks.
Experts said constant pressure without enough rest can harm sleep, eating habits and mental health.
Students may also feel lonely and may not ask for help because they worry about stigma.
Friends, teachers and families can help by noticing changes in behavior and talking openly.
Psychologists said studying what happened before a death can help schools understand warning signs, but it cannot prove that one event caused it.
They emphasized that a student's value should not depend only on academic performance.
A classmate of Sahil Wakode said IIT students can feel pressure from academics, comparison and expectations after years of JEE preparation.
Students said even strong results, including a 9 out of 10 grade, can feel inadequate in a highly competitive environment.
Experts linked prolonged academic, career, social and family pressures with stress, anxiety, burnout and other serious mental-health concerns.
Students may hesitate to seek professional help because of stigma and fears about how others will react.
Psychologists said early support and psychological autopsies could help identify warning signs and improve institutional mental-health systems.
- Who
- IIT Bombay students, the classmate of deceased student Sahil Wakode, and mental-health experts Rituparna Ghosh and Santosh Bangar.
- What
- Students and experts discussed academic pressure, isolation, mental-health concerns and barriers to seeking help after Wakode's death by suicide.
- Where
- The discussion concerns IIT Bombay; the quoted experts work at Apollo Hospitals in Navi Mumbai and Gleneagles Hospital in Parel.
- When
- The article does not specify when Wakode died or when the discussion took place.
- Why
- The discussion aims to understand pressures and warning signs affecting students and to identify ways to strengthen mental-health support.
Key facts
- Institution
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay)
- Student named
- Sahil Wakode
- Academic pressure
- Students described competition involving grades, internships, placements, research and expectations to excel.
- Entrance exam
- Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)
- Reported concern
- A student said that even a grade of 9 out of 10 can feel like failure.
- Barriers to help
- Stigma and concerns about how others will react may discourage students from seeking professional help.
- Suggested approach
- A psychological autopsy can examine stressors, behavior changes, support systems and warning signs without assigning blame.
Quotes
Sahil Wakode’s classmate
A classmate of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode who discusses academic pressure and student wellbeing.
“Early support and open conversations can make a significant difference. Students should know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, and their worth should never be measured only by their academic performance.”
indianexpress.com
“Even a grade as good as 9 out of 10 feels like failure. At that point, we want a system which actually goes for holistic growth rather than the same rote learning of schools.”
indianexpress.com
Rituparna Ghosh
Senior consultant psychologist at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.
“Students at IITs are often seen as the best of the best. Can they still experience anxiety, burnout or feelings of inadequacy? Absolutely! Students may develop a strong sense of self-competition, feeling that they have to be perfect, be the best or outperform everyone around them.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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