Lok Sabha Question No. 1402 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Cases of Suicides and Ragging of Medical Students
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Balashowry Vallabbhaneni

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1402 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 th JULY, 2023

## CASES OF SUICIDES AND RAGGING OF MEDICAL STUDENTS

## 1402. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware about the recent RTI reply given by National Medical Commission (NMC) stating that 120 medical students committed suicide and 1166 students dropping out of medical colleges during the last five years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with action taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) the details of the students who have committed suicides and dropped out of colleges due to ragging, year-wise and Institute-wise;
- (d) whether the Government/NMC has any plans/ suggestions regarding the appointment of Health Counsellors in medical colleges on the line of IITs to resolve such issues; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (e): As informed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Anti Ragging Committee in NMC has given information regarding the number of suicides and drop outs medical students in the last five years in reply to an RTI application.

Further, as per information provided by 559 Medical Colleges, till date, 122 students have committed suicide in medical colleges/institutes in India. The state wise details of UG and PG students who have committed suicide and dropped out are at Annexure-I and Annexure II respectively. However, all cases of suicide and drop out are not directly related to ragging alone.

NMC has also informed that there is no proposal regarding the appointment of Health Counsellors in medical colleges, however, as per the National Medical Commission (Prevention & Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges & Institutions) Regulations, 2021, every Medical College is required to constitute a Mentoring Committee with the following functions:

- i. Interact individually with the mentee fresher student every day for ascertaining the problems or difficulties, if any, faced by the fresher in the medical college or institution;
- ii. Extend necessary help to the fresher in overcoming the same;
- iii. Coordinate with the wardens of the hostels and to make surprise visits to the rooms in such hostels, where a member or members of the group are lodged;
- iv. Interact with the parents or guardians of the mentees to discuss and provide solutions to problems faced by the students;
- v. Maintain a diary of his/her interaction with the freshers under his charge;
- vi. Senior students may be inducted into the mentoring process under supervision by faculty mentors.

Further, the Anti Ragging Committee, NMC regularly deals with the ragging complaints as per the provisions of National Medical Commission (Prevention & Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges & Institutions) Regulations, 2021.

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## Details of UG Medical students committed suicide and last five years drop out

|        |                | Number of suicides     | Number of suicides   | Number of Drop outs    | Number of Drop outs   |
|--------|----------------|------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
| S. No. | State          | Number of the Colleges | Number of Students   | Number of the Colleges | Number of Students    |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh | 3                      | 5                    | 6                      | 13                    |
| 2      | Bihar          | 1                      | 1                    | 5                      | 18                    |
| 3      | Chhattisgarh   | 0                      | 0                    | 1                      | 3                     |
| 4      | Delhi          | 1                      | 1                    | 1                      | 3                     |
| 5      | Gujarat        | 4                      | 5                    | 5                      | 17                    |
| 6      | Haryana        | 1                      | 1                    | 1                      | 1                     |
| 7      | Jammu &Kashmir | 1                      | 1                    | 1                      | 1                     |
| 8      | Jharkhand      | 1                      | 1                    | 0                      | 0                     |
| 9      | Karnataka      | 4                      | 5                    | 8                      | 17                    |
| 10     | Kerala         | 9                      | 9                    | 4                      | 8                     |
| 11     | Madhya Pradesh | 0                      | 0                    | 1                      | 1                     |
| 12     | Maharashtra    | 3                      | 3                    | 5                      | 12                    |
| 13     | Mizoram        | 1                      | 4                    | 1                      | 2                     |
| 14     | Orissa         | 2                      | 3                    | 3                      | 5                     |
| 15     | Pondicherry    | 2                      | 3                    | 2                      | 3                     |
| 16     | Punjab         | 0                      | 0                    | 1                      | 3                     |
| 17     | Rajasthan      | 3                      | 5                    | 3                      | 4                     |
| 18     | Sikkim         | 1                      | 1                    | 0                      | 0                     |
| 19     | Tamil Nadu     | 4                      | 8                    | 5                      | 8                     |
| 20     | Telangana      | 1                      | 1                    | 3                      | 3                     |
| 21     | Uttar Pradesh  | 4                      | 4                    | 5                      | 15                    |
| 22     | West Bengal    | 0                      | 0                    | 5                      | 15                    |

## Details of PG Medical students committed suicide and last five years drop out

|        |                  | Number of suicides    | Number of suicides   | Number of Drop outs   | Number of Drop outs   |
|--------|------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| S. No. | State            | Number of the College | Number of Students   | Number of the College | Number of Students    |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh   | 1                     | 1                    | 9                     | 38                    |
| 2      | Assam            | 0                     | 0                    | 2                     | 30                    |
| 3      | Bihar            | 1                     | 1                    | 2                     | 5                     |
| 4      | Chandigarh       | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 25                    |
| 5      | Chattisgarh      | 1                     | 1                    | 1                     | 4                     |
| 6      | Delhi            | 2                     | 2                    | 7                     | 155                   |
| 7      | Goa              | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 2                     |
| 8      | Gujarat          | 6                     | 9                    | 11                    | 103                   |
| 9      | Haryana          | 1                     | 1                    | 3                     | 27                    |
| 10     | Himachal Pradesh | 1                     | 1                    | 1                     | 1                     |
| 11     | Jammu &Kashmir   | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 30                    |
| 12     | Jharkhand        | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 3                     |
| 13     | Karnataka        | 4                     | 11                   | 23                    | 96                    |
| 14     | Kerala           | 1                     | 1                    | 6                     | 10                    |
| 15     | Madhya Pradesh   | 1                     | 1                    | 4                     | 17                    |
| 16     | Maharashtra      | 8                     | 11                   | 21                    | 85                    |
| 17     | Manipur          | 0                     | 0                    | 2                     | 10                    |
| 18     | Meghalaya        | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 1                     |
| 19     | Orissa           | 1                     | 1                    | 3                     | 13                    |
| 20     | Pondicherry      | 2                     | 4                    | 3                     | 6                     |
| 21     | Punjab           | 0                     | 0                    | 4                     | 15                    |
| 22     | Rajasthan        | 4                     | 6                    | 7                     | 98                    |
| 23     | Sikkim           | 0                     | 0                    | 1                     | 1                     |
| 24     | Tamil Nadu       | 1                     | 1                    | 17                    | 39                    |
| 25     | Telangana        | 0                     | 0                    | 4                     | 41                    |
| 26     | Uttar Pradesh    | 4                     | 5                    | 14                    | 117                   |
| 27     | Uttarakhand      | 1                     | 1                    | 5                     | 103                   |
| 28     | West Bengal      | 0                     | 0                    | 6                     | 20                    |