IIT Bombay hosted a two-day Manashakti Mind Gym exhibition as part of its Mental Strength Week celebrations, marking Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary. The interactive, non-screen activities promoted focus, mental strength and emotional wellbeing among students, faculty and staff
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In a significant step towards prioritising student mental wellbeing, IIT Bombay has become the first academic institute to organise a dedicated Mental Strength Week.
Mental Strength Week at IIT Bombay was held from January 12 to 18, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The week-long initiative at one of India’s top institutes aimed at promoting mental strength, focus and emotional balance within the academic community and witnessed participation from over 1,500 students over two days.
Two-day Mind Gym exhibition
As part of the celebrations, the Student Wellness Centre organised a two-day Mind Gym exhibition by the Manashakti Research Centre on January 15 and 16.
The exhibition, held from 12:00 noon to 9 pm, was free and open to students, faculty and staff and offered an immersive, hands-on experience focused on understanding and strengthening the mind.
Participants during the mental strength week engaged with a series of technology-assisted yet non-screen experiential activities that challenged conventional perceptions of mental abilities.
Through scientifically designed feedback systems, visitors explored whether concentration could make a ball float or how meditation could provide real-time feedback on mental states. The activities allowed participants to see and hear how focus, calmness and attention directly influenced outcomes.
The concept behind the Mind Gym
As per IIT Bombay, a key concept behind the Mind Gym is achieving a balance between the left and right sides of the brain. While modern academic life heavily engages the left brain – associated with logic, analysis and constant problem-solving – the right brain, linked to creativity, intuition and emotional regulation, often remains underutilised. The Mind Gym activities are designed to activate both, helping restore mental harmony and reduce stress.
Activities
Activities at IIT Bombay’s mental strength week included concentration-based ball control, meditation sound feedback, visual alertness challenges, steadiness tasks and coordination games, all demonstrating how the mind reacts under distraction, pressure and relaxation.
Notably, the activities were physical and movement-based, intentionally avoiding screens in an era of digital overload.
The exhibition underscored the relevance of mental strength, sustained focus and inner resilience, values central to Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, while reflecting IIT Bombay’s ongoing commitment to fostering student mental health and overall wellbeing through innovative and experiential initiatives.
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