New Delhi: Veer Narmad South Gujarat University has installed around 350 fans with springs across its hostel to prevent student suicides. This initiative has drawn a lot of attention on social media. Although it was introduced as a safety measure, people on social media questioned whether changing fans is the right approach to address mental health issues.
The university says the spring-loaded system will prevent ceiling fans from bearing the weight that could make them a means of suicide. The spring is designed to release when more than 10 kg of weight is placed on the fan. That mechanism activates and cuts off the power supply and causes the fan to come down.
In a viral video, Vice Chancellor Kishorsinh Chavda is seen giving a demonstration. He placed a bedsheet over the fan and put his body weight on it, which triggered the spring mechanism and caused the fan to descend.
Each unit of these fans costs around Rs 1,500. According to the college, it is an affordable safety measure for hostels. People on social media say that it can stop physical harm but does not address the emotional, mental health or academic problems.
“Prevention is better than cure. You need to change what causes them to attempt suicide? Focus on their mental health, not on this ceiling fan. If they want, they will find another Alternative to die! Focus on the root cause and solve it,” said a user on social media.
Another user, Dr. Rajeshwari Iyer, joked that the US talks about reducing stress on students and India installs anti-suicide fans.
“Indian politicians are beyond repair,” she said.
“Rather than confronting the real reasons behind student suicides, they simply install anti-suicide fans in hostels, opting for hardware fixes instead of meaningful educational and mental health reforms,” wrote another user on X.
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Learning from Kota
A similar debate had emerged in Kota, Rajasthan, where a hostel had locked ceiling fans in iron grills in October 2022. In 2017, the Kota Hostel Association had also proposed installing spring-loaded devices and alarm sensors on ceiling fans to prevent students from using them to attempt suicide.
In August 2023, following a spate of student suicides, the district administration in Kota had directed hostels and paying guest accommodations to install spring-loaded devices on fans. The measures have since drawn questions about whether physical safety measures alone can address the pressures faced by students preparing for competitive examinations.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)