Lok Sabha Question No. 60 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Suicide Cases of  SC/ST and OBC Students in IITs
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Anto Antony

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 60 ANSWERED ON- 25/11/2024

## Suicide Cases of SC/ST and OBC Students in IITs

## 60 Shri Anto Antony:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of students' suicides reported in IITs during the last five years, year-wise and institute-wise;
- (b) the number  of such students belonged to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled  Tribes  (STs),  and  Other  Backward  Classes  (OBCs),  year-wise and IIT-wise;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to prevent suicides in IITs; and
- (d) the present number of mental health professionals in each IIT?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  to  (d):    National  Crime  Record  Bureau  (NCRB)  collects  data  on  suicides  from police recorded suicide cases. Details of the number of suicides of students in 2022 is  available  in  the  Accidental  Death  &  Suicide  in  India  (ADSI)  2022  report  of  the NCRB which is accessible at https://ncrb.gov.in/uploads/nationalcrimerecordsbureau/custom/adsiyearwise2022/17 01611156012ADSI2022Publication2022.pdf

As  per  the  Accidental  Deaths  &  Suicide  in  India  (ADSI),  2022,  Report  of NCRB, there are various causes of suicides like professional/career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain etc.

To address the issue of suicide, the Government takes preventive measures and provides psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being to avoid incidences of suicide. Ministry of Education (MoE), has launched an initiative, Manodarpan, with the aim to provide psychosocial support to students, their families and teachers across the country, for mental health and wellbeing. All activities  undertaken under the Manodarpan initiative are aimed towards supporting the mental health and well-being of students from schools, colleges and universities, including those students who are preparing for competitive examinations.

The  Ministry  on  10.07.2023  has  also  circulated  a  broad  framework  for emotional  and  mental  well  being  of  students  in  Higher  Education  Institutes  (HEIs) with request to take proactive measures to incorporate the same in the institutional functioning and instil a feeling of confidence in the student community.

The  higher  educational  institutions  take  various  steps  such  as  conducting workshops/seminars  on  Happiness  and  Wellness,  regular  sessions  on  Yoga, induction programs, extracurricular activities including sports and cultural activities, assigning  of  one  faculty  adviser  for  small  group  of  students  to  support  with  their academics and monitor their progress, and appointment of Student Counsellors for overall personality development  and  de-stressing students. Further, students, wardens and caretakers are sensitized to bring to notice the signs of depression in fellow students to the authorities so that timely clinical consultation may be provided. IIT  Madras,  IIT  Delhi,  IIT  Guwahati  and  IIT  Gandhinagar  have  also  conducted workshops  on  Mental  Wellness  &  Stress  Management,  in  Northern,  Western  and Southern regions during May-August, 2023, involving multiple educational Institutions  and  experts  in  the  field  of  mental  health,  to  develop  a  comprehensive approach to suicide prevention and mental health promotion.

A Capacity Building Programme is also launched to enhance mental health resilience and wellbeing in HEIs, which offers a platform to share best practices and collaborate  with  experts  on  student's  mental  health.  From  May  to  October  2024, more than 900 faculty members participated in various sessions held across HEIs. Additionally,  the  National  Wellbeing  Conclave  was  conceptualized  to  create  a collaborative platform  for  students  and  faculty  to  exchange  ideas,  showcase initiatives,  and  share  best  practices.  First  National  Wellbeing  Conclave  has  been held on 9-10 November 2024 at IIT Hyderabad, the Conclave brought together more than  300  stakeholders  from  centrally  funded  institutions,  with  more  than  50  HEIs showcasing emerging practices.

UGC has also issued Guidelines for Promotion  of  Physical  Fitness,  Sports, Student's  Health,  Welfare,  Psychological  and  Emotional  Well-  being  at  HEIs  on 13.04.2023,  which  provides  for  promoting  physical  fitness  and  sports  activities  for students; creating safeguards against academic pressure, peer pressure, behavioral issues, stress, career concerns, depression and other issues on the mental health of students; to teach positive thinking & emotions in the student community;  and  to promote a positive and supportive network for students.

IITs have established Student Wellness Centres (SWCs) to offer comprehensive  mental  health  support  through  on-campus,  online,  and  off-campus counselling services. Additionally, IITs promote student well-being through volunteer programs, gatekeeper  training,  and  grievance  redressal  mechanisms.  Beyond utilizing professional online counselling platforms, IITs also employ over 130 mental health professionals, including counsellors, psychiatrists, and psychometricians.

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