Lok Sabha Question No. 83 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Suicide Cases of  Students in Kota, Rajasthan
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Mala Roy

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.83

ANSWERED ON 29/07/2024

## SUICIDE CASES OF STUDENTS IN KOTA, RAJASTHAN

*83 Smt. MALA ROY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any data regarding suicide cases of students in Kota, Rajasthan during the last two years;
- (b) whether the Government has set up any fact-finding Committee on above said issue;
- (c) whether the Government has evolved any mechanism for counselling the students who are taking training for IAS and IPS in Kota;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (e):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 83 FOR REPLY ON 29.07.2024 ASKED BY SMT. MALA ROY, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING SUICIDE CASES OF STUDENTS IN KOTA, RAJASTHAN

(a)  to  (e):  Education  being  a  concurrent  list  subject,  Educational  Institutions  are  managed  by  both Central  and  State  Government.  Majority  of  the  Educational  Institutions  in  the  country  falls  in  the purview  of  the  State  /  UT  Government.  National  Crime  Record  Bureau  (NCRB)  collects  data  on suicides  from  police  recorded  suicide  cases.  Comprehensive  analysis  of  the  data  related  to  the accidental deaths and suicides in the country is published in the yearly Accidental Death & Suicide in India (ADSI) reports by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). Year wise and State wise details of students suicides are available in the year wise ADSI reports which are accessible at https://ncrb.gov.in/accidental-deaths-suicides-in-india-year-wise.html .

The Government accords highest importance to each incident of student suicide. 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.

National Education Policy 2020 stipulates student support as one of the cornerstones of the quality learning.  Along  with  providing  suitable  resources  and  infrastructure,  the  policy  recommends availability of counselling systems to ensure student's physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing enabling them to handle stress and emotional adjustment. Accordingly, the Government is taking multi-pronged  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 well-being. 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.

UGC has also issued Guidelines for Promotion of Physical Fitness, Sports, Student's Health, Welfare, Psychological and Emotional Well- being at Higher Educational Institutions (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.

The Ministry on 10.07.2023 has also circulated a broad framework for emotional and mental wellbeing  of  students  in  HEIs  with  request  to  take  proactive  measures  to  incorporate  the  same  in  the institutional functioning and instill a feeling of confidence in the student community. Accordingly, various Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) organized workshops on Mental Wellness & Stress Management in which different HEIs from the country participated.

Department of Higher Education has conceptualized a Capacity Building Programme for Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience & Wellbeing in HEIs. The program aims for sustained capacity building of faculty in HEIs, providing a platform for sharing of best practices and collaborating with panel of experts to focus on mental health & wellbeing of the students in HEIs.

Keeping in view the growth in number of unregulated private coaching centers in the country in the absence of any laid down policy or regulation; instances of such centers charging exorbitant fees from students;  undue  stress  on  students  resulting  in  students  committing  suicides  and  many  other malpractices being adopted by these centres; Ministry of Education has circulated a Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centers to States/UTs on 16.01.2024 for consideration by way of appropriate legal framework.

The  Guidelines  encompass  several  key  aspects,  including  defining  coaching  centers,  specifying conditions and necessary documents for registration, issues related to  fees, outlining infrastructure prerequisites for establishing coaching centers, establishing a code of conduct for coaching centers; laying emphasis on significance of mental well-being, advocating for the prioritization of counsellors and psychologists' support within coaching centres; no batch segregation; maintenance of records etc.

In order to regulate the Private Coaching and tuition classes, a number of States / UTs have brought out legislations like Bihar Coaching Institute (Control & Regulation) Act, 2010, Goa Coaching Classes (Regulation)  Act,  2001,  Uttar  Pradesh  Regulation  of  Coaching  Act,  2002,  the  Karnataka  Tutorial Institutions  (Registration  and  Regulation)  Rules,  2001,  Manipur  Coaching  Institute  (Control  and Regulation) Act in their respective jurisdiction.

Education being in the concurrent list, the State and UT Government need to take further action by way of appropriate legal framework.

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