Mental health matters: Sneha’s demise highlights emotional challenges of campus students

In the North Campus of Delhi University, which is usually a vibrant hub of student chatter, there were solemn conversations on Monday around the tragic demise of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Mathematics student, whose family had migrated to Delhi in the hope for a better future for their daughter.

Campus students advocated for dedicated counsellors to help them navigate emotional and psychological pressures.

Debnath, a DU student originally from Tripura, went missing and her body was found in the Yamuna near the Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday.

As one entered the Arts faculty of DU today, tribute pamphlets bearing Sneha’s photograph and messages greeted the eyes.

These read: “This could have been prevented” and “Mental health matters”.

In the evening, student groups lit candles near the statue of Swami Vivekananda and held a peaceful march in Sneha’s memory.

“We’re not just grieving, we’re angry,” said Pradeep Kumar, a first-year PhD student from the Department of Continuing Education and Extension.

“Sneha’s death is not just a personal tragedy for us, it also represents institutional failure at some level. DU must wake up and appoint a full-time on-campus counsellor. Students are suffering in silence,” the student mentioned.

The concerns are not limited to emotional distress. Many students, particularly those in their final semesters, are grappling with career anxiety, uncertain placements and family pressures.

“The number of companies coming for placements has gone down significantly,” said Kamal Tiwari, a Master’s student and student activist.

“When you combine academic pressure, future uncertainty and no support system, it becomes a ticking time bomb,” he said.

Tiwari said DU organises dozens of political and cultural events, but none on coping with depression, anxiety or academic burnout?

“Where are the workshops on stress management or career planning?” he asked.

He further claimed that student unions have had raised these concerns multiple times in meetings with the administration, only to be met with silence or vague assurances.

“From what we know, Sneha had been showing signs of withdrawal and anxiety. But there was no system in place to notice, respond, or help,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Pratiksha Menon, a student who herself coped with trauma, stated that due to cut throat competition, some students develop a sense of being left behind and this draws them towards loneliness.

“I was lucky. My parents saw my suffering at the right time and with the help of a counsellor, I was able to cope with excessive pressure," she said.

Teachers agree. Avneet Kaur, who teaches mass communications and journalism at Indrapratha College for Women, stressed the need for urgent action lest students continue to suffer in silence.

Delhi