At a time when academic pressure, homesickness, and isolation are taking a toll on students’ mental health, IIT Kharagpur has launched a unique initiative—Campus Mothers—to offer emotional support within the campus itself. Since its announcement, the program has sparked debate and criticism from mental health professionals.
The move comes amid growing concern over student well-being in India’s top institutions. Multiple suicides have been reported from the campus in recent years, prompting the Supreme Court to direct immediate intervention and call for a national task force on mental health in higher education.
A Larger Wellness Framework: HEART
In response, the institute introduced a broader well-being program titled HEART (Help, Empower, and Resiliently Thrive—A Mother’s Touch for Campus Wellness).
It begins with a 10-member wellness committee comprising mental health professionals, legal and police officials, counsellors, educationists, and alumni.
As part of HEART, two key interventions were outlined:
An AI-enabled app to facilitate conversations and help students navigate institutional support
The more discussed “Campus Mothers” initiative, focused on human connection
Campus Mothers: What It Is and How It Will Work
This initiative invites female faculty, staff spouses, and women residents on campus to volunteer as “mothers”—providing emotional support to students in informal, everyday settings.
Director Suman Chakraborty, who was recently appointed at IIT Kharagpur, said the idea stemmed from a need to bridge emotional gaps that the existing support staff could not fill. With nearly 20,000 students and only 15 mental health professionals on campus, he noted that it is simply not possible to meet every student’s emotional needs through clinical support alone.
He noted that most students stay with their families until Class 12 and then face sudden disconnection after entering college. He said the presence of mother-like figures might recreate a homely space where students feel understood and nurtured, adding that women who have experienced motherhood often have a deeper sense of what a child needs, which, he felt, could make their presence especially comforting in moments of distress.
“This kind of personal interaction allows students to express themselves in ways that a mechanized chatbot simply can’t match, there are limits to what technology can do. That’s why we need both approaches. Technology helps because it’s not scalable to have campus mothers engage with every single student individually.”Suman Chakraborty, Director, IIT Kharagpur
To prepare them for this role, campus mothers will undergo structured training by mental health professionals on how to engage with students and identify signs of emotional distress. Once trained, they will connect with students over tea, coffee, or dinner, not as therapists, but as supportive listeners.
The initiative is set to launch on July 25, during orientation for the incoming undergraduate batch. Students will also be encouraged to participate in creative outlets, wellness activities, and sports as part of a broader support plan.
Mental Health Professionals Push Back on the Model
As the proposal gained attention online, mental health experts began voicing concerns, not about intent, but about execution and boundaries.
Critics pointed to risks of breach of confidentiality, unintentional judgment, and blurred lines between emotional and professional care. Another concern was the gendered framing. Some argued that assigning caregiving only to women reinforces outdated stereotypes around empathy and emotional labor. Others suggested including male faculty or alumni to diversify support roles.
What Experts Are Saying
Counselling psychologist Arjun Gupta noted that while well-meaning, the model might reinforce emotional dependence on parental figures, potentially delaying students’ transition into adulthood. He recommended building peer-based systems and training students to identify when professional help is needed.
Psychologist and content creator Divija Bhasin also strongly criticized the initiative in a viral video, calling it “regressive” and out of touch with what students actually need. She questioned the logic of assigning emotional roles to faculty members or spouses who are often part of the very system students feel alienated by. According to her, therapy is not about symbolic comfort—it requires licensed professionals who offer safe and unbiased care.
A Cautious Step Forward
While Campus Mothers may be rooted in care and community, experts say its success depends on clear training, boundaries, and structural safeguards.
Many believe such efforts must go hand-in-hand with broader reforms—reducing academic pressure, addressing faculty behavior, and confronting campus discrimination. Without proper oversight, even well-meaning programs risk reinforcing stereotypes rather than meeting student needs.
(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)