On Campus, Not All Stress Is Equal, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• A second-year IIT Bombay student died, with parents alleging caste-based torture, leading to an investigation under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
• The institute's dean has been suspended pending inquiry into the student's death.
• Separately, NIT Kurukshetra reported four student deaths linked to debt, family discord, and academic strain.
• The common institutional response of counselling and welfare circulars is criticized for not addressing diverse root causes.

Detailed Insights:

• The article draws parallels to Rohith Vemula's death a decade ago, questioning the effectiveness of institutional responses.
• It argues that treating all student deaths as mental health crises with counselling overlooks structural issues like caste discrimination.
• Social Identity Theory explains how group membership, including caste, can foster in-group favour and out-group derogation.
• The Diathesis-Stress Model highlights how pre-existing vulnerabilities, like caste-based stereotyping, amplify the impact of stressors.
• The article calls for independent accountability for institutional bias, distinct from crisis response for personal distress.
• It emphasizes that prevention, especially regarding institutional biases, is more effective than merely offering support.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: An Indian parliamentary act to prevent atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Social Identity Theory: A theory where a person's self-concept and self-esteem are derived from perceived membership in social groups.
• Diathesis-Stress Model: A psychological theory suggesting that mental disorders arise from an interaction between a predisposition and environmental stressors.
• Institutional Bias: Systemic policies or practices within an institution that result in unfair treatment of individuals based on certain characteristics.