The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 accelerated the adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) across domains. It is now widely used in education, research, and industry to improve productivity and work quality, and is increasingly treated as an assistive technology. While concerns remain about its impact on jobs, GenAI has quickly become embedded in everyday academic and professional workflows. In academia, adoption has been particularly rapid in India’s premier technical institutions (TIs), such as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, and National Institutes of Technology (NITs). GenAI tools provide on-demand access to explanations, problem-solving support, and coding assistance, effectively functioning as 24×7 tutors at students’ fingertips. While this improves access to guidance and reduces dependence on institutional resources, it raises a key question: Is GenAI reducing academic stress or intensifying it?…