IIT KGP director introduces SETU outreach initiative for students

Following four unnatural student deaths on campus this year, IIT Kharagpur on Friday launched a mental health and wellness framework titled SETU — Support, Empathy, Transformation and Upliftment — aimed at creating a resilient, inclusive and student-driven support system.

Christened SETU@IITKGP, a human-tech renaissance in higher education, it was formally launched on Friday by IIT Director Professor Suman Chakraborty. The initiative is designed not as a standalone support service, but as a deeply integrated, tech-powered and human-centric ecosystem, an institute spokesperson said.

Meaning a bridge in Sanskrit, SETU is a metaphor for turning isolation to inclusion, vulnerability to strength, distress to resilience, mind to heart, tradition to technology. marking a bold paradigm shift, the spokesperson elaborated.

The rollout follows the tragic deaths of four students in 2025 — Shaon Mallik (Jan 12), Aniket Walker (Apr 20), Mohammad Asif Qamar (May 4), and most recently Ritam Mondal (July 18) — which triggered widespread concern about the mental health and academic stress among students.

The spokesperson said, "SETU offers one-on-one therapy, psychiatric care, group sessions, 24/7 online counselling (via YourDOST) and campus-wide outreach without stigma. It also includes an AI-powered emotional health monitoring embedded in halls, academics enabling real-time, culturally sensitive support through anonymous check-ins and early-alert systems." The initiative also encompasses peer-led empowerment through groups like welfare committees and hostel-level units, making wellbeing a decentralized student-driven culture.

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