<p><span style="font-size: 13.008px;">Hon’ble Minister of State for Education Shri. Sanjay Dhotre launched a self-help website – Bandhu – for students of IIT Bombay at 11 am on Sunday, November 1, 2020 in the presence of Director of IIT Bombay Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri. Eminent film maker, Mr. Nitesh Tiwari who is also an IIT Bombay alumni was the Guest of Honour for this occasion.</span></p><p>Appreciating the efforts of alumni of IIT Bombay, the Hon’ble Minister of State for Education Shri. Sanjay Dhotre said,<em> “A good education institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are available to all students. </em></p><p><em>Students are the prime stakeholders in the education system. Vibrant campus life is essential for high-quality teaching-learning processes. Towards this end, students should be given plenty of opportunities for participation in sports, culture/arts clubs, eco-clubs, activity clubs, community service projects etc.</em></p><p><em>Our National Education Policy 2020 says that in every education institution, there shall be counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments. Furthermore, a systematized arrangement shall be created to provide the requisite support to students from rural backgrounds, including increasing hostel facilities as needed. All higher education institutions will ensure quality medical facilities for all students in their institutions.</em></p><p><em>I am sure that the academic leaders at IIT Bombay are looking into these aspects also, along with imparting top class education.</em></p><p><em>I am sure the “BANDHU” initiative will help our students to travel on their respective chosen paths in a stress free manner, ensuring the emotional well being“. </em></p><p>Bandhu has been designed in conjunction with the counsellors at IIT Bombay along with external experts with support from Prof. T. Kundu, Dean (Student Affairs) and Prof. Suhas Joshi, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations). It addresses challenges ranging from adjustment to college life, academic stress, and mental health. Bandhu has curated reads, motivational alumni journeys, expert podcasts and tools for self-exploration.<span style="font-size: 13.008px;"> </span></p><p>Project Bandhu was initiated by alumni of the Class of 1992, as a part of their silver jubilee reunion in 2017. They pledged to support IIT Bombay and help students enhance their emotional well-being. The self-help website is one of the first steps in this direction. They have been closely involved with execution of the project.</p><p><em>“We live in a time where we are prone to stress. The students of IIT Bombay need to stay strong, both physically and emotionally to construct and pursue their<font color="#0074bd"> </font>dreams,”</em> said Director of IIT Bombay Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri. “The pandemic has also increased stress in the lives of the students. We are happy to announce the timely launch of Bandhu at IIT Bombay,” he added.<span style="font-size: 13.008px;"> </span></p><p><em>“Many issues, when tackled effectively at the initial stages, can help students overcome challenges in a timely manner before a domino effect starts coming into play. Moreover, it will also point out when it could be time to seek help from the support structure available at IIT Bombay,”</em> said Rekha Koita, alumni of IIT Bombay from the Class of 1992. </p><p><span style="font-size: 13.008px;"><em>“The project is one-of-a-kind and extremely promising, especially in these challenging times. We look forward to working on other initiatives under Bandhu,”</em> said Prof. T. Kundu, Dean (Student Affairs). </span></p><p> </p>