‘Deeply Distressing’: Supreme Court Issues Sweeping Guidelines to Curb Student Suicides
The Supreme Court has issued a comprehensive set of guidelines to tackle the rising number of student suicides across India, calling the situation “deeply distressing.” The directives, which apply to all schools, colleges, and coaching centres, aim to create a supportive environment and address the academic stress and exam pressure faced by students.
In a landmark order, the bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta outlined 15 measures, including mandatory mental health counselling and the assignment of dedicated mentors to small batches of students. The court mandated that all teaching and non-teaching staff must undergo mental health training twice a year from certified professionals to help them recognise and respond to signs of distress.
The guidelines also require all educational institutions to establish functional internal committees to handle grievances related to sexual harassment, ragging, and other issues, while providing psycho-social support to victims. Prominent display of suicide helpline numbers, such as Tele-MANAS, in common areas and on websites has also been made compulsory.
The court’s decision was prompted by alarming data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which reported 13,044 student suicides in 2022. The bench highlighted this as a systemic failure requiring urgent intervention. “Institutional safeguards must be implemented to protect students from psychological distress, academic pressure and lack of support,” the court stated.
The ruling came during the hearing of a case involving the suicide of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant in Andhra Pradesh in July 2023. The Supreme Court has now ordered a CBI probe into her death. The court exercised its powers under Article 32 of the Constitution, declaring that these guidelines will remain in force as law under Article 141 until specific legislation is enacted.
