CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) hosted ‘Towards a Happy, Safe and Secure Campus’, an institute-wide event underscoring its sustained commitment to student wellbeing, safety and a supportive campus environment.
The event held today (23rd Jan 2026) featured addresses by Ms. G. Thilakavathi, IPS (Retd.), Student Ombuds, IIT Madras, and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, who spoke on the importance of institutional responsibility, trust-based systems and proactive engagement in ensuring a positive student experience.
The Event can be viewed through the following link – https://youtube.com/live/WLF8ecGTulI?feature=share
Addressing the students, Ms. G. Thilakavathi, IPS (Retd.), Student Ombuds, IIT Madras, said, “As the Director (Prof. V. Kamakoti) said, it should be a ‘zero suicide batch’…You will contribute not only to your family but to the entire Nation. Instead of seeking employment, you should be employers. You should start your own enterprises and be entrepreneurs. Through this, a lot of educated youngsters will get employment and that will solve a lot of problems…whatever stress that you are going through, whatever problem you are facing, all that can be solved. The best is yet to come and nothing is lost. You should march forward.”
Ms. G. Thilakavathi added, “The Central Government has come out with a lot of ideas and changes. For example, the Indian Penal Code, which is a feudal and colonial document that use to be our Bible, has not only been renamed but also the sections and the way that they looked at the crimes. Even the language used in the law has changed. For example, in IPC there use to be a Section called 354 that addresses problems like Eve Teasing, which trivialized harassment. But now, we want women to march forward and to realise that they have the potential to lift the economy up. In the present law, they have assembled all the sections that were scattered all over the IPC and brought it under one umbrella. The important section of 75…starts with ‘if anybody makes any unwelcome advances, that is a punishable act.’ These things are viewed seriously and tried only in the Sessions Court (District Headquarters).”
Further, Ms. G. Thilakavathi said, “On Sexual Harassment at workplace, which emanated from the Vishaka case Judgment. In 2013, it came into force, it covers all aspects of women in working place. Working place does not mean necessarily any corporate place. It also means any educational institution, any boarding place or any secluded place wherein women work. It also mandates that anyplace where more than 10 women work, it should have a committee called Internal Complaints Committee. The law also states that this committee must have the lady to be the chairperson from that workplace and that two-thirds of the committee must be women and include one activist as well.”
IIT Madras places the student experience at the core of its academic and residential ecosystem. Through this event, the Institute presented a range of comprehensive and innovative initiatives aimed at building a campus that is not only academically rigorous, but also emotionally supportive, physically safe and socially inclusive.
Making a presentation earlier, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Our efforts span multiple dimensions including student grievance redressal mechanisms, counselling and wellness services, safety and security protocols, sensitisation programmes and robust institutional frameworks that encourage transparency, empathy and accountability. Together, they reflect IIT Madras’ holistic approach to nurturing student wellbeing across all stages of campus life. We are blessed to have Ms. G. Thilakavathi as Student Ombuds, under whose able guidance the campus is growing to be more happy, safe and secure.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti highlighted that creating a happy, safe and secure campus is a continuous process that requires collaboration between students, faculty, staff and administration.
The event reaffirmed IIT Madras’ long-standing commitment to providing a campus environment where students can thrive academically and personally, while feeling safe, heard and supported.
