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A debate on student suicides and allegations of harassment in higher educational institutions brought together Professor Badri Narayan, Vice Chancellor of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and student activist Deepti Shelar. Addressing questions on institutional accountability and mental health, Professor Badri Narayan pointed out the mission under the National Education Policy to build more humane and supportive university environments. He remarked, 'Data says that many in 10 years or 20 years, more than thousands, many thousands cases happen in educational institutions', stressing that faculty and peer groups must remain vigilant to identify distress early. Meanwhile, Deepti Shelar highlighted student unrest over alleged caste discrimination and demanded strict administrative accountability, including the immediate removal of officials accused of pressurizing students. Professor Badri Narayan noted that ongoing police inspections are probing circumstances, warning against rushing to conclusions as investigations examine whether issues stem from societal factors, opinion polarization, or mental health pressures.

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00:00And joining me on the show tonight, Professor Badri Narayan is Vice Chancellor of Tata Institute of Social Sciences in
00:06Mumbai.
00:06We also have Deepti Shilar, who is a student activist, will be joined by IIT Mumbai alumni, Vishwanath, in just
00:15a bit.
00:16I'm going to begin with you, Deepti, since you all are on ground in Mumbai.
00:21What is the largest sentiment of the students?
00:30Deepti, if you heard me, all right, we'll try and fix that line with Deepti.
00:39But Professor Badri Narayan, can institutions take swift administrative action like removal or suspension and yet still ensure that criminal
00:47liability is determined independently and fairly?
00:50Because that is where the point here is now.
00:53See, Maria, in most of the higher education institutions, they are working to create a kind of summerous condition in
01:03the universities.
01:04And they are, for that, you must await the EU education policy that also suggests to make a summerous campus.
01:12And also, we are, the many institutions are working, IITs and also, to evolve human, more humanly campus.
01:24So that's the mission on which our education institutions are working.
01:28Even then, the case of suicides are happening.
01:33And suicide, you know, the suicide kind of issues, which tells us, especially teachers and also the close friends, peer
01:45groups, to be very vigilant, very alert.
01:50Anything can happen with anyone because of this mental health issue.
01:55Professor Badri Narayan, the larger question here is, what the family is alleging.
02:00Here is the family that says that their son was facing continuous harassment from an institution of this kind of
02:15reputation.
02:17See, Maria, Shidi is under the kind of investigation and the inspections.
02:25Police are trying to, police is trying to decode it.
02:29And then the situation will clear what happened.
02:32But, you know, this is linked with also the kind of societal conditions, issues, and also mental health issues.
02:42There are three stages.
02:44One is the causes which compel someone.
02:48Second is the causes which create a condition.
02:51And third is the initiative of the societal act.
02:54So we need to think about all three stages.
02:57So two stages are being evaluated by the police and by the laws, it's one way.
03:02But the third issue is, which we discuss as an academician, that how to make our campus more humanly and
03:11more at ease, more comfortable, so that this kind of cases do not appear.
03:17Because it's not an issue of one case, two cases, or three cases.
03:20The data says that in 10 years or 20 years, more than thousands, many thousands cases happen in educational institutions.
03:32But, you know, if you see the data, in 2022, 2023, it's interestingly the rate of societal cases decline in
03:41India.
03:42Why? We should think because of, also because of the, this, this, the corona condition created a kind of situation
03:51in which the families live very closely with the young guys.
03:56So we need to, at many levels, we need to prepare ourselves at the institutions so that this kind of
04:04situation couldn't emerge.
04:35Because a lot of times have copied, then the family would have to target them by the four students, so
04:42we have to counselling them.
04:44And we have to learn the only way, to get into the exams.
04:48But in two days, we are able to look around, suddenly they are being the same, why?
04:54We need to wait for the reason why, so the panel must open the case and clarify.
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