IIT Kharagpur recently launched a mental health initiative named “Campus Mothers” in an attempt to provide emotional support to students. Led by Director Suman Chakraborty, the initiative addresses growing concerns over student stress and well-being following three suicides on campus this year.
How the Program Works
Volunteer women living on campus, including faculty spouses, staff, and alumni mothers, will receive training in basic counselling, active listening, empathy, and crisis intervention. “Campus Mothers” will host informal get-togethers with the students for a casual chat, providing students with a non-clinical yet comforting space to open up.
Why “Mothers“?
Many young adults arrive accustomed to hands on parental care and guidance, making it hard for them to adjust to campus pressure. Director Chakraborty stated that AI tools and a new Student Welcome Committee are in development, the warmth of human connection cannot be substituted. Hence, inheritance of the traditional “motherly” care is seen as a bridge for students readjusting to a demanding college environment.
However, the initiative garnered criticism online, arguing that mental health concerns, especially at resource-rich campuses like IITs, should be addressed by trained professionals, not through “traditional” substitutes. The portrayal of mothers as natural therapists has also drawn criticism for reinforcing gender stereotypes, assuming all women are inherently nurturing, while ignoring that mothers, too, may struggle with mental health.
Beyond the Pilot
The outcome of IIT Kharagpur’s “Campus Mothers” pilot model could serve as a guide for how universities might integrate formal mental health care with community-based treatments. It is uncertain if the project sets a precedent or merely acts as a temporary solution, but it clearly highlights the urgency of addressing student mental health outside of established frameworks.
