IIT Kanpur Apppoints Student Ombuds

In response to mounting student tensions, including two recent suicides, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has appointed an ombuds to convey the problems of the students to administrators. IIT Kanpur is one of the leading universities in India and it is the first to create an ombuds for student concerns. Professor Onkar Dixit of the Civil Engineering department has been appointed as the first ombudsman. (IIT, Kanpur Office Order; Times of India.)

[Updated] In a follow-up article, Dixit outlined his plan:

I would like to work for those students who have recently joined the institute and are apprehensive of what the years ahead have in store for them. I will encourage them to approach me with both their personal and education-related issues. Ultimately, the aim will be to ensure that students remain unaffected by the stress and continue with their studies in peace.

(Times of India.)