Students, Suicides, Education, IISC, IIT

I am not sure how my post will be taken (that is why I was contemplating whether to post or not all these days, and then finally decided to speak out), but let me tell you something regarding Suicides in Educational Institutions.

I do agree that academics are a stressing factor, but I am sure that you will agree that "academics" exists in every branch - medicine or engineering

In fact, if you take the exam pattern, I do think that Medicine is as stressful as engineering or even more..

But as far as I know, I can recollect only one student who had committed suicide for not getting the PG Seat she wanted. It was sometime in 2002-2003 when a topper who wanted MD Paediatrics, but could get only MD General Medicine, Committed suicide after joining MD General Medicine.

It is perhaps one case in the entire Tamil Nadu over the past 10-15 years.

There were guys who had completed the MBBS course in 10 years.... I knew quite a few who joined in 1992, but completed in 2003. All these students who failed in I MBBS were the toppers in their school. They should have entered into medical college getting some 99% marks in their 12th standard. And quite a few would have been the top scorers in their respective districts. There were cases of depression, But I do not know cases of suicide.

And MBBS is a very cruel system as it does not allow arrears to be accumulated. Only if you clear all the papers in First MBBS you can go to second MBBS and so on. From Second MBBS to Third MBBS, you can carry only one paper.

And the pass percentage in Clinical Exams can be as low as 30 %.... The Candidates are being examined in 5 subjects and even if he/she fails in one that is fail. There are quite a few instances in medical colleges when a student who got medal in one subject was failed in other. I don't think that the stress and depression associated with such scenarios are less than what one faces in Institutes

And coming to love failure, I am sure that there are atleast 20 to 30 love failures every batch (this is what is known outside - no idea about unexpressed loves). In Tirunelveli Medical From 1992 to 2007, there was one suicide "attempt" by a girl who wanted to threaten the boy. As it was an attempt, she could be easily saved. Recently there was a boy who committed suicide in Madurai Medical College for love failure.

So, from what I can gather (from memory), attempting suicide for academic pressure or love failure is very rare in Medical Community (in Tamil Nadu)

So what is wrong with IISC ???

As per a comment in the same post

If my memory serves correct between 1994-1998 there were at least 4 suicide cases.

1) An ME student who was unable to fathom the fact that he was not the topper any more. Sadly, this boy, I was told, was son of a daily wage laborer from Andhra.

2) A PhD student in Chemistry. Whose research, I was told, was not going anywhere, and had consumed a deadly chemical from his lab. In this case again this boy was from a poor family from a remote village in TN.

3) Another PhD student, some how linked to JNC, committed suicide, by hanging himself.

4) A girl from Engineering, and MSc (Engg) student, attempted suicide by consuming Baygon. However, she was saved, but not before developing serious medical complications and slipping to coma and finally getting back.

Barring the fourth case, the respective Depts took no interest in these happenings. In the fourth case the Dept was really supportive. In fact the credit for her survival must go her advisor. Barring the first, all the other three had the "Love factor” associated with it, I mean, the person was in love with some one, but that person was either not interested or was interested once but not anymore. Infact the final jolt appears to have come when their respective love interests had found a different partner.

I think I have to agree with an Anon who has commented on Abi's Post regarding a sad loss.

heres too much emphasis on academics and hardly any community event other than the weekly movie (even thats useless in bringing ppl together)...hardly any interaction possible outside one's dept...ppl end up isolated

And a follow up comment

this is anon1
i am sorry to say this but its sad that u dont see...i suggest you hark back to your own undergraduate days and you will see the difference...here most ppl dont know their hostel neighbours too

I have visited my (school) friend's in their college hostels and one aspect which struck me was how different, disciplined, organised, quiet their hostel was as compared to what we have as hostels in medical colleges - totally unregulated, no rules, no regulations - we can have as many guests in our rooms including our school friends, our seniors who had come to the town for getting a certificate or attending a marriage (they can just walk in, keep their bags, take bath, go to marriage / office, will come back, take the bag and go by evening bus - the rule was very simple. Keep the key in the space above door !!!) Of course not many preferred their relatives and parents to come to hostel - to prevent your father know the poster in your cupboard.

There were total camaraderie and solidarity. There were hardly any secrets, including who is after whom. Sometimes there were rumours that Y is after X or X is after Y (nomenclature based on 23rd chromosome) even when there really nothing going on. Every one shared the joy (or passing the exam) and sorrow (of failing the exam). Support was available every where, not only from friends, but also from seniors and tutors. If some one is dejected, there was always people who would immediately ask him to come out for a coffee (பொட்டி கடை / டீக்கடை- not the modern day "Coffee shops") or a movie and engage in a talk.

During our entire expedition from Anatomy to Internship we were well informed and always knew what to expect and what to do. We came to know the hotel serving the best chicken from our seniors. The status of our attendance for the afternoon lecture class (or the lack of it) could be gathered from the department clerk. The name of the likely examiner can be heard from the college office and his preferred questions collected from a post graduate in his unit.

In spite of coming to a new town for college education, we were never at loss as there was some one to answer our question – whether it is academic or social or regarding the locality. There was help every where. When I had a flat tyre in my bike and was stranded (those were days where telephone was luxury and mobiles were non-existent) between the hospital and hostel, it was a matter of minutes before some one passing in that road noticed it and duly informed the nearest mechanic. Once the mechanic came with the tools, I can inform him my room number and hitchhike in the next bike, even if there was already some one in the pillion(triples). There was help and guidance every where and all our questions were answered instantly. All our problems were solved by some one else – even the incidence/prevalence problem in your SPM practical exam was solved by the skilled assistant. :) :)

The questions where we were found want of answers (and when no one was helping us) were the ones asked by our professors like Causes of Hemoptysis in Mitral Stenosis and the Difference between Stage II and Stage III of Carcinoma Ovary (during exams !!!).

While "Clubs", "Gymkana" etc are non-academic (or extra curricular), I don't think that they can "break the ice" as effficiently as chatting for long hours in roof top or going to movies or reading and sleeping in the terrace along with another college mate.

Hence all these Non-Academic clubs are not as useful as informal friendships for breaking the dull and monotonous lifestyle and making a person cheerful. They are helpful to develop your singing skills or shooting skills, but I don't think that they can help you relax. because, in due course, there is "performance" issues there also. Every one wants to sing, but a light music troop cannot have 10 singers and invariably there is dejection there also. Having been a part of my college Team throughout my Undergraduate days and having led my college in various fine arts events from 1998 to 2002, i can tell that it is a bigger challenge to convince a person (as to why he is not selected to be a part of team representing the college), than taking part in the actual event.

The dramas and hullabaloos that followed when a player is dropped from the cricket team (especially when his friend from the other sex is coming to the tournament) and another selected was no lesser than what happened when Ganguly or Dravid was dropped !!!!

Another aspect is that not every one is that talented to make a mark in the Extra Curricular area. This is because of the way we treat our 12th Standard Students, by killing every aspect of their cognitive and creative capacity except Memory power. In the 80's every college had a cricket team, football team, light music gang. Can you find the same talent "today" in professional colleges.

Sports and Drama Clubs are excellent avenues for spending your spare time. But if you are a little dejected and want to lighten you up, the way these clubs (or societies) operate "today", they are never going to freshnen up a solitary mind in anguish. Bitter, but true !!!

I did my UG in Tirunveli and PG in Madurai. While I was actively involved in Extra Curricular activities (Quiz, Table Tennis, Light Music, Inter Intra collegiate functions, Magazine Committee etc) in my Undergraduate days, I was not a member of any of the above in my PG Life.

Yet I never felt for a moment that I was alone in Madurai. When I joined the hostel was full and I did not get a room immediately as the exams for the outgoing batches were on at that time. One of the professors offered a room his clinic (totally free of charge) for me to stay instead of staying in a hotel room all alone).

And even when I was staying out, I managed to make friends and went for quite a few movies. And once the exams were over, I moved to the hostel and the enthusiasm was infective. I still remember my wing mates (they were from different colleges and were doing different courses) and even talk to them over mobile once in a while. We used to go to movies together, and discuss for hours regarding Cricket, Politics, Movies and Of course College Rumours.

Is this what is missing "today" in higher education institutions (including few medical colleges ??)

*****

Related posts about College Life are given at

• Gone are the Days, but not the memories
• Gone are the Medico Days
• What is in the Name ???
• Joy of Working for a Function