The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the University of Delhi (DU) have initiated awareness campaigns for students and parents to ensure mental well-being and happiness among students.Moving a step ahead in promoting the importance of students’ mental health, IIT Madras on Wednesday reached out to parents, asking them to provide a strong support system for its students. The institute has organised an interactive session to help parents understand and communicate with their children in a better manner during their academic journey.The session was scheduled in view of World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10. This day was established back in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to break the conventional social practice of silence.Also Read | IIT scholarships, fellowships for JEE Advanced, GATE and JAM exam rankersIIT Madras has planned a week-long observance of the day, organising ‘PREM – Parents’ Role in Encouraging and Mentoring ‘.PREM is an interactive online session conducted especially for parents of students pursuing their higher education at IIT Madras. The session was conducted on September 9 by Yamini Kannapan, senior consultant psychiatrist, Behavioural Science, Kauvery Hospital.The session has been curated to equip parents with practical guidance on perceiving students’ needs and communicating with them effectively. It also guides parents on how to sympathise with their children and understand their emotional and mental well-being.Story continues below this adTaking a similar move, Delhi University is all set to host a one-day national conference today with the theme “Science Meets Social Science: Mental Well-Being and Happiness”, talking on interdisciplinary approaches to happiness, mental well-being and human flourishing.The conference comes after the soaring trends of stress, anxiety and academic and professional pressures, as well as growing concerns over mental health, emotional resilience, depression and suicide, primarily among young people, students and professionals.As stated by the university, the national conference will be organised by the Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council (RIEC) and will take place at the Convention Hall, Vice-Regal Lodge. Through the conference, DU aims to exhort wider understanding of happiness and mental well-being.Also Read |Delhi schools to remain closed on September 11 BRICS SummitStory continues below this adDinabandhu Sahoo, the chairperson of the RIEC, is expected to lead the event as the convenor of the conference, while Neena Pandey, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, will act as the co-convenor.According to the statement, the conference will illustrate how mental health is an essential component of a healthy, resilient, and progressive society rather than merely being an individual concern.The conference is likely to be attended by faculty members, DU employees, research scholars, undergraduate and postgraduate students from various departments and colleges of the university. Participants from other academic institutions are also expected to attend this national conference.Academicians, researchers, experts and practitioners from diverse fields will deliberate on contemporary challenges related to mental well-being and explore ways to build emotional resilience, social connectedness and individual and collective happiness.Story continues below this adThe conference will explore various mental health-related themes such as the science of happiness and mental well-being, environment and happiness, mindfulness and mental resilience, music therapy and well-being, food and happiness, and social relationships, spirituality and well-being.The discussions will demonstrate how biological, psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and relational factors shape human happiness and mental well-being. The campaign is aimed at fortifying interdisciplinary scholarship and promoting informed, inclusive and sustainable steps to build a healthier and more resilient society, as highlighted by the university.