New Delhi: The Institute Counselling Services (ICS) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela — a dedicated initiative supporting students' emotional, academic, and psychological needs — helped save eight lives last year, according to officials.

Since its inception in 2017, ICS has grown into a robust support network that includes professional counsellors, psychiatrists, faculty advisers, and peer mentors.

“Over the past year, NIT Rourkela's Institute Counselling Services has successfully intervened to save eight lives through its coordinated efforts. ICS conducted over 2,000 online and offline sessions with 987 students. As a result, the institute successfully addressed the concerns of students fighting depression and self-harming symptoms and ensured complete support from its peer mentor and institute's quick response team,” said R K Biswal, head of ICS, NIT Rourkela.

Biswal said that academic self-improvement remains the most common reason students seek guidance.

“Many times, students struggle with anger, procrastination, time management, focus, and decision-making, which result in overthinking, low self-esteem, and sleep problems, adding to mental stress. Relationship issues with parents, friends, or partners often lead to emotional isolation, as students hesitate to share their feelings,” he said.

Career-related anxiety is another challenge. “Students often feel unsure about their academic and career choices, which in some cases has led to depression and substance abuse, causing financial struggles,” he added.

In special cases, ICS contacts families and may recommend a temporary break from academics. “Students focus on recovery with parental support and are allowed to rejoin only after submitting a medical certificate confirming emotional stability. The ICS psychiatric team also conducts a fitness assessment at the time of return,” Biswal said.

The institute has implemented a structured mentorship system wherein every 10 first-year students are paired with a trained senior mentor who guides them through emotional and academic challenges in their initial years.

Additionally, to resolve hostel-related issues promptly, wardens and assistant wardens have been included as ICS advisors, along with faculty members.

“These advisors are trained to identify early signs of distress. Since they're often the first point of contact, they alert ICS staff, who then initiate appropriate follow-up actions like mentor counselling or psychiatric sessions,” Biswal added.