Rising Mental Health Concerns Fuel Surge in IIT Counselling Room Visits, Says RTI Data

Sep 10, 2025 Aakanksha Singh

Post-pandemic years have seen a sharp rise in students seeking mental health counselling at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

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Data accessed by The Indian Express under the RTI Act shows sharp rises in students seeking help at IIT Kanpur, Roorkee, Delhi and Bombay — fuelled by Covid’s aftershocks and a wave of new investments in campus wellness.

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At IIT-Kanpur, counselling sessions more than doubled from 1,804 in 2018 to 4,113 in 2024, with over 1,600 students — about 12% of the campus — seeking help in 2023 alone.

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IIT-Roorkee’s numbers jumped from 105 students in 2018 to 1,289 in 2024, while sessions rose from 146 to 4,666 in the same period, with the biggest leap in 2022.

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At IIT-Delhi, student footfall has gone up over fourfold, from 695 in 2020-21 to 2,887 in 2024-25, alongside 2,628 sessions logged by its partner platform YourDOST. IIT-Bombay, too, has seen steady growth, from 1,668 students in 2022 to 2,146 in 2024.

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The increase is attributed to pandemic isolation effects and a cultural shift towards openness in seeking help. IITs have expanded mental health resources — more counsellors, full-time psychiatrists, and new wellness centres.

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Expanded Support Systems IIT-Kanpur now has a Centre for Mental Wellness with multiple full-time and part-time professionals. IIT-Delhi’s counsellor strength rose to 14, offering 24/7 online support. IIT-Roorkee runs annual mental health campaigns, including suicide prevention and peer sensitisation drives.

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Common Issues Faced Students seek help for academic stress, emotional struggles, interpersonal conflicts, relationship issues, and pandemic-related adjustment difficulties.

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While the institute has invested in campaigns to normalise conversations around mental health, some reluctance still persists. IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Guwahati show stable or slightly declining in-person counselling footfall due to alternative online mental health services and stigma challenges.

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According to officials, an increased counselling uptake reflects growing trust in mental health support and is a positive sign of students prioritising well-being.

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Post-pandemic student mental health challenges at IITs highlight the need for continued investment in counselling infrastructure and destigmatization efforts.

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