CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) organised a two-day regional workshop on ‘Celebrating Minds: From Academic Excellence to Sustainable Wellness’ for faculty members from south India in the campus on 12th and 13th July 2026.
The ‘Regional Workshop on Mental Wellbeing’ was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, as part of its Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme. It is component of a nationwide capacity-building initiative to strengthen student wellbeing mechanisms across Higher Education Institutions.
The workshop was held in the presence of Ms. Rina Sonowal Kouli, Joint Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, other faculty and stakeholders.
‘FIRST CFTI TO GET ISO FOR WELLNESS CENTRE’
A significant milestone highlighted during the workshop was the ISO 45001:2018 certification awarded to the IIT Madras Wellness Centre by TUV NORD Group. This made IIT Madras the first Centrally Funded Technical Institute (CFTI) in India to receive this internationally-recognised certification for occupational health and safety management.
The certification reflects the Institute’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive and healthy campus environment by promoting wellbeing, proactively identifying risks, preventing work-related hazards and continually improving wellness practices.
NATIONAL STUDENT WELLBEING FRAMEWORK
Addressing the workshop on 12th July 2026, Ms. Rina Sonowal Kouli, Joint Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education, Government of India, said, “The Ministry is facilitating such programs. It was during January 2024 that we started capacity building programmes for teachers as part of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme. Since then, we have been able to reach out to more than 3,000 faculty members. This happens twice a month on fortnightly basis. As it is the campus that acts as the second home for students, after they come out of the safety of the homes, it is heartening to see such initiatives. These programs have reduced the stress of academic pressures. We will be learning from the crisis response embedded in the IIT Madras system. There cannot be one fixed path. There will have to be multiple pathways and different programs that fit each of the institutes that are taking part in this workshop.”
The initiative follows recommendations of a Ministry of Education committee constituted to review the implementation of the national student wellbeing framework and propose measures to strengthen mentoring, academic guidance and institutional support systems for students. IIT Madras hosted one of the five regional workshops being organised across the country to institutionalise mental wellbeing as an integral component of India’s higher education ecosystem.
Highlighting the initiatives of IIT Madras, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “The true measure of academic excellence lies not only in intellectual achievement but also in the emotional resilience and holistic wellbeing of our students. At IIT Madras, we have been consciously building a campus ecosystem where every student feels supported, heard and empowered to thrive.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “IIT Madras’ recent achievement of ISO certification for our wellness systems and the creation of a dedicated Associate Dean Students (Wellness) position reflect our institutional commitment to making student wellbeing a strategic priority. We are honoured to work with the Ministry of Education to host this important regional workshop, which provides a valuable platform for Higher Education Institutions to exchange best practices and collectively strengthen campus wellbeing frameworks.”
The Southern Region workshop brought together nearly 200 participants, including faculty members, counsellors, hostel wardens, administrators and student support professionals from universities and higher education institutions across the region. The programme focused on equipping institutional leaders with practical tools, strategies and collaborative frameworks to build supportive, inclusive and resilient campus environments.
Speaking on ‘The journey of Transforming Student Support – Wellbeing Model by IIT Madras’, Prof. Satyanarayana Gummadi, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said, “Student wellbeing requires a whole-of-institution approach where mentoring, peer support, counselling, hostel engagement and early intervention work together to create a culture of care. IIT Madras has established an ecosystem that makes support accessible, proactive and stigma-free. IIT Madras is delighted to share our experiences through this workshop and learn from other institutions as we collectively work towards creating campuses where students thrive academically, emotionally and personally.”
Further, Prof. Suresh Kumar Rayala, who is the first Associate Dean Students (Wellness) at IIT Madras, added, “Effective student wellbeing begins with early engagement, accessible support and a campus culture where seeking help is encouraged without stigma. Our focus is on building preventive and proactive systems that combine mentoring, peer networks and professional support to help students navigate both academic and personal challenges. This workshop provides an excellent opportunity for institutions to share practical approaches and collectively strengthen student wellbeing across the higher education ecosystem.”
A key highlight of the workshop was the presentation of the IIT Madras Student Wellbeing Model, showcasing the Institute’s multi-dimensional approach towards creating a nurturing campus environment. The model highlighted initiatives spanning mentoring systems, peer support networks, counselling services, early identification of distress, inclusive education and holistic student engagement. Col. Balaji (Retd.), Senior Wellness Officer, discussed mechanisms for early recognition and referral of students in distress.
Over two days, participants engaged in expert lectures, panel discussions, case studies, practical demonstrations and group exercises addressing multiple dimensions of student wellbeing. Sessions explored topics including stress-free education, policy interventions for student wellbeing, building institutional support ecosystems, resilience and life skills, clinical approaches to stress management, preventive mental health strategies, lifestyle interventions and pathways to happiness and flourishing.
The workshop featured distinguished experts from academia, government, healthcare and the mental health sector, including representatives from IIT Madras, the Ministry of Education, IIT Tirupati, NIT Tiruchirappalli, Expressions India, Ramakrishna Math, AIIMS Jodhpur, Krea University, YourDOST, Kauvery Hospital and other leading institutions.
One of the distinctive features of the programme was a field visit to IIT Madras hostels and dining facilities, where participants interacted with hostel managers, wardens, peer mentors, MITR volunteers and students to understand the Institute’s on-ground support mechanisms. The visit enabled participants to examine practical approaches to fostering safe, supportive and student-centric residential environments.
The second day focused on strengthening preventive approaches to student wellbeing through early identification of behavioural red flags, addressing learning disabilities, substance use prevention, lifestyle management and institutional preparedness. Participants also undertook focused group discussions to evaluate their own institutional practices using a wellbeing review framework and collaboratively developed action plans for implementation in their respective institutions.
The workshop concluded with participating institutions presenting a consolidated roadmap of recommendations aimed at strengthening student mentoring, counselling services, hostel support systems, peer engagement and preventive wellbeing frameworks. The recommendations are expected to contribute towards the Ministry of Education’s continuing efforts to foster emotionally healthy, academically enabling and resilient higher education campuses across the country.
