Mindfulness Meditation Center In Indian University: Why Institutes Need To Focus More On Students' Mental Health

Well known education institutions in India are not only responsible to properly train and educated students, but also responsible for the state of their mental health. The course often put a lot of pressure on students and when they are unable to deal with it, it drives them to take their own lives. There have been many such instances recently at institutions like IIT where students have committed suicide because they were unable to bear the pressure. A very well known university in Kolkata has recently made a decision to set up a Centre for Mindfulness Meditation to promote everyone's mental health. This is a decision which was long due and should be taken by other universities as well. Aims And Objectives For Setting Up A Meditation Center According to reports, the university already has a cell for counselling students. However, they felt that it was necessary to include a meditation center which will help students, staff and faculty cope with mental health crisis. The director of the center of the university reportedly said that mindfulness is a technique of meditation which takes on a secular approach. There are many people who suffer from loneliness and who do not share what they are going through.He said, "The space for interactions has probably shrunk." This is why the university felt that this step was very necessary. Why Should Other Universities Also Focus More On Mental Health Crisis? Multiple studies reveal the fact that after COVID-19, everyone is suffering from some or the other mental health issues. Being in a stressful environment can only trigger these emotions but the campuses are hardly equipped to deal with them. Here are some reasons why this is a very crucial step: Supporting Mental Health Will Help Students Perform Better Academically: If a campus has multiple resources to support student's mental health, this will automatically improve students' academic performance, attendance and prevent students from dropping out as well. Support Mental Well-Being: Educational institutions often have very stressful and toxic environments that de-motivate students. After suffering immensely from a pandemic that is still going on, students are suffering from a wide variety of mental health issues and they require constant attention. Some of these problems cannot be solve with just traditional counseling. Suicide Prevention: According to recent Indian data, about 33 students from IIT have died by suicide. The rate of student suicides is going higher all across the world. In times like these, it's essential to have a campus that promotes suicide prevention and educates everyone on ways to help those who are struggling.