NE EDUCATION BUREAU
CHENNAI, JULY 13
Recognising that academic excellence is sustainable only when supported by emotional resilience, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has emerged as a national trailblazer in student mental wellbeing by hosting a two-day regional workshop on campus wellness while simultaneously becoming the first Centrally Funded Technical Institute (CFTI) in India to secure the prestigious ISO 45001:2018 certification for its Wellness Centre.
Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Education as part of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme, the workshop titled ‘Celebrating Minds: From Academic Excellence to Sustainable Wellness’ brought together nearly 200 faculty members, counsellors and academic administrators from higher education institutions across South India on July 12 and 13.
- Premier institute hosts Ministry of Education’s regional workshop to help Higher Education Institutions build resilient, mentally healthy campuses across South India
- IIT Madras becomes India’s first Centrally Funded Technical Institute to earn ISO 45001:2018 certification for its Wellness Centre, setting a new national benchmark
- Nearly 200 faculty members, counsellors and administrators explore the IIT Madras Student Wellbeing Model integrating mentoring, peer support and professional counselling
- Ministry of Education calls for customised institutional wellness frameworks, describing campuses as students’ ‘second home’ beyond academics
The event forms part of a nationwide capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening institutional mechanisms that promote student mental health, emotional resilience and holistic development across India’s higher education landscape.
A major highlight of the workshop was the announcement that the IIT Madras Wellness Centre has been awarded ISO 45001:2018 certification by TÜV NORD Group, making it the first CFTI in the country to receive the internationally recognised certification for occupational health and safety management. The recognition reflects IIT Madras’ commitment to creating a safe, supportive and hazard-free environment that prioritises student wellbeing alongside academic achievement.
Addressing the gathering, Rina Sonowal Kouli, Joint Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education, 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.”
Highlighting the importance of nurturing emotionally secure campuses, she added:
“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.”
Emphasising the need for flexible institutional approaches, she observed:
“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.”
Underscoring IIT Madras’ philosophy of holistic education, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, stressed that the true measure of academic excellence lies in the emotional resilience and overall wellbeing of students, noting that the creation of a dedicated Associate Dean Students (Wellness) position and the institute’s ISO-certified Wellness Centre demonstrate that student mental health is now a strategic institutional priority rather than a supplementary service.
During the workshop, Prof. Satyanarayana Gummadi, Dean (Students), and Prof. Suresh Kumar Rayala, Associate Dean Students (Wellness) showcased the IIT Madras Student Wellbeing Model, which seamlessly integrates faculty mentoring, peer support networks, professional counselling and structured wellness interventions to build a resilient student community.
The programme also featured expert panel discussions, interactive knowledge-sharing sessions and a field visit to IIT Madras hostels, enabling participants to observe the institute’s on-ground student support ecosystem. The workshop concluded with participating institutions presenting a consolidated roadmap of recommendations aimed at strengthening mental wellbeing frameworks across higher education campuses nationwide.
With its pioneering wellness ecosystem, international certification and collaborative knowledge-sharing initiatives, IIT Madras has reaffirmed that the future of higher education lies not only in producing brilliant graduates but also in nurturing emotionally resilient, mentally healthy and socially responsible citizens.
