Ten days after the Maharashtra government announced it would assign the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Tiss) the job to find out reasons for the increasing number of suicides in the state, the latter is still awaiting an official communication.
The institute, after hearing about the announcement through newspapers, has set up a team of professors and psychologists for the study and has devised a methodology. But they cannot start the process without an official message from the government.
Tiss director S Parasuraman said, “We have formed a team
of professors and psychologists who have earlier worked on similar projects. Katy Gandevia is heading the team of experts for the study. We have decided on the methodology that we will follow for the study.”
However, TISS cannot initiate the process, as they are yet to receive a formal letter from the government. The institute has not even received a phone call from any state government official asking them to go ahead with the study.
“We are hoping to get a communication soon. Knowing the government’s way of functioning, it might take time because the matter might pass through various departments before a final communication is made to us,” added Parasuraman. TISS was the first institute to conduct a study on farmers’ suicides way back in 2005.
Gandevia who is a professor and programme coordinator, in Centre for Health and Mental Health, has earlier worked on similar projects.
Gandevia said, “We do not know the magnitude of the study. We are hoping to get a communication from the government soon on what exactly they want from us. We have decided not to form a very big team as of now. Once a message is received, we will start off the project.”
An official from the state’s school education department said, “The decision has been taken in the cabinet meeting. An official communication has to be passed on to the education department, which is yet to come.”
