2 min readNew DelhiApr 28, 2026 02:05 PM IST
Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has introduced a new mandatory Social Conduct course for all first‑year undergraduate students across its campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, and Dubai, to build emotional intelligence, ethics, and social responsibility in higher education.
Rolled out in the current academic year, the course, as stated in the press release, brings structured learning around emotional intelligence, relationships, consent, gender sensitivity, safety, and well‑being directly into the formal curriculum.
Unlike short workshops or compliance‑oriented training, Social Conduct is designed as a structured, credit‑bearing learning experience. Delivered in an asynchronous online format, it uses interactive activities, reflection exercises, scenario‑based learning, and assessments to help students engage thoughtfully with real‑life situations commonly encountered during university life.
Designed to address the social and emotional realities students encounter as they enter university life, the curriculum covers areas many learners engage with for the first time in higher education. It begins with emotional and social intelligence, focusing on self‑awareness, empathy, resilience, stress management, and mental well‑being, before moving to relationships, gender, and sexuality, where students explore identity, challenge stereotypes, and learn to communicate boundaries.
A core component addresses consent, sexual misconduct, and safety, including power dynamics, bystander intervention, digital safety, and the biological and psychological impact of trauma. The course also familiarises students with laws, campus policies, reporting mechanisms, and issues such as substance use, peer pressure, and recovery pathways.
The course was developed by Striide, an organisation founded by Nidhi Chaitra Girish, a BITS Pilani alumna (Batch of 2023), and was integrated into the university curriculum through the efforts of Dean Prof Radhika Vathsan and Professor Indrani Talukdar, who worked to embed it within the institute’s academic framework.
Commenting on the initiative, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “Creating campuses where every student feels safe, respected, and supported is integral to who we are as an institution. The Social Conduct course encourages young adults to reflect on how their actions shape the communities they live in, and equips them with the awareness and responsibility needed to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.”
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