Lok Sabha Question No. 1631 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Suicide Cases due to Caste Discrimination
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Kumbakudi Sudhakaran, Karti P. Chidambaram, Behanan Benny, Vincent H Pala

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1631

## ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## Suicide Cases due to Caste Discrimination

## 1631. SHRI KUMBAKUDI SUDHAKARAN: SHRI KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM: SHRI BENNY BEHANAN: SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  number of suicides reported in institutes of higher education, including IITs, NITs, Central Universities and IISERs, since the year 2014;
- (b) the number of suicides that were attributed to caste discrimination;
- (c) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plans  to  tackle  the  issue  of  growing  instances  of  caste discrimination in educational institutions;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any studies to analyse the root cause behind the rising number of suicides in educational institutes and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  intends  to  make  it  mandatory  for  educational  institutions  to  provide counselling services?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a) & (b): A total number of 137 suicides have been reported across 135 different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs),  Central  Universities,  Indian  Institutes  of  Science  Education  and  Research  (IISERs),  Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and School of Planning and Architecture (SPAs) since the year 2014. Usually, suicide amongst students is driven by varied causes working in isolation and mostly, in conjunction, which includes academic stress, family reasons, personal reasons, mental health issues, financial distress, and inter personal frictions between students.

(c) to (e): The Government accords highest importance to each incident of suicide on campuses of educational  Institutions  and  has  initiated  numerous  initiatives  in  this  regard.  The  National  Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provisions for counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments in Institutions. It also provisions for opportunities for students' participation in sports, culture/arts clubs, eco-clubs, activity clubs, community service projects, etc. To check suicidal tendency among students, the  Higher  Education  Institutions  take  proactive  welfare  measures  to  prevent  harassment  and  mental wellbeing of students and have engaged Counsellors / Psychologists / Doctors for counseling of students from  time  to  time.  In  addition,  the  Institute's  own  faculties  /  Wardens  /  Mentors  are  also  actively involved in helping students to deal with a wide range of concerns be it academic, personal, emotional. These Institutes  conducts  regular  counseling  sessions  through  sensitization  program  for  the  students' community.  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.

University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  (Redress  of  Grievances  of  Students)  Regulations,  2019  have been  formulated  to  safe  guard  the  interest  of  students.  UGC  has  also  notified  UGC  Regulations  on curbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 and issued circulars for strict compliance of the regulations. To address the issue of mental health and well-being during and after COVID, UGC had issued advisories to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on 05.04.2020. UGC has also circulated the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, 2021 formulated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Ministry of Education has undertaken various steps such as peer assisted learning, introduction of technical  education  in  regional  languages  for  students  in  order  to  ease  the  academic  stress.  The Government of India initiative, named MANODARPAN, covers a wide range of activities to provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being during the COVID outbreak and beyond. Besides this, students' specialised psychological counselling helplines, students' wellness centres, buddy-support system and various other measures have been implemented in IITs and other Institutions, for early detection of cases of psychological stress.

In order to proactively address any issues of SC / ST students, Institutes have set up mechanisms such as SC / ST students' cells, Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Committee, Student Social Club, Liaison officers, Liaison Committee etc. Further, UGC has issued instructions from time to time for promoting equity and fraternity amongst students.

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