IIT Kharagpur
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Reimagining Student Care through Alumni Mentorship

IIT Kharagpur’s bold Campus Mothers initiative—announced by new Director Suman Chakraborty in early July 2025—remains central to the institute’s larger strategy for student well-being. Designed to provide informal emotional support via trained women residents (faculty or staff-families), it pairs empathetic, human presence with AI-driven monitoring tools as part of a two-pronged approach (ThePrint).

Motivation & urgency: The initiative aims to proactively address student distress after three suicides within the past year (latest reported May 2025) (Deccan Chronicle).

Two-layered model: A new 10-person mental-health committee was formed in May 2025 to assess and recommend improvements, complementing the “Campus Mothers” programme (DQ).

Scope of training: Campus Mothers will undergo orientation in basic counseling techniques and emotional recognition skills. Their role is intentionally informal—offering tea, conversation, even weekend outings—to build trust outside clinical settings (ThePrint).

AI integration: Anonymized AI-based sentiment tools will monitor student well-being and optionally prompt outreach when stress signals emerge; this tech underpins—not replaces—the human layer (India Today).

Why this matters:

• Human + tech synergy: Director Chakraborty highlighted that while scalable, technology lacks the warmth of interpersonal connection—hence the mix of AI and community care .
• Community-rooted care: By embedding care figures in the most common campus spaces—hostels, cafeterias—the institute creates more accessible and less intimidating support “zones” (ThePrint).

Alumni Mentorship: Building on a Global Best Practice

As alumni, your role in shaping student support is invaluable. Many top universities show how this can be done effectively:

• Penn State CLA (Fall 2023): Focuses on sparking conversations around mental health, avoiding extra stress.
• Assumption University: Offers practical guidance on life post-graduation, including finances and interpersonal challenges.
• Yale U. Alumni: Facilitate open mental health dialogue to destigmatize seeking help.
• Dartmouth College: Alumni-funded a $1 million mental health services fund.
• IIT Madras – Manam: Peer-to-peer alumni efforts reduce stigma and build trust in campus mental health systems.

How IITKGP alumni can elevate the Campus Mothers model:

1. Expand “care roles” beyond motherhood: Train mentors of all genders to fulfill nurturing roles—broadening both capacity and inclusivity.
2. Support structured check-ins: Alumni can host virtual tea afternoons or group check-ins, mirroring the informal Campus Mothers sessions.
3. Fund complementary services: Contributions could support program training, wellness authority stipends, AI-tool enhancements, and data-driven impact assessments.
4. Promote destigmatization: Alumni voices normalizing conversations—around burnout, failure, mental health—can shift campus culture.
5. Share best practices: Use insights from global alumni mentorship programs to guide metrics, training modules, and evaluation frameworks.

In Conclusion...

IIT Kharagpur is charting a groundbreaking path in integrating human warmth with cutting-edge AI to safeguard student mental well-being. The dual-track model—anchored in community care and backed by technology and institutional oversight—presents a scalable, empathetic ecosystem. Alumni involvement can bring the wisdom of mentorship, global perspective, and financial backbone to ensure this initiative thrives.

Alumni, how would you design your “Campus Mentor” role? What support networks, training modules, or cultural signals do you think will best sustain this vision? Your insights can help architect a healthy future for all Kgpians.

📰 Know an inspiring IITKGP student or alumni story worth sharing? Let us know and help us celebrate our global community.

Empower. Inspire. Support.