Lok Sabha Question No. 1344 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Suicides among NEET Aspirants
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Thiru Dr. S Jagathratchakan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1344

ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025

## Suicides among NEET Aspirants

## 1344.     Shri S Jagathratchakan:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of cases of student suicides reported across the country during the last three years following the announcement of NEET results, State/year-wise, including the total number of suicides among NEET aspirants;
- (b)    whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  studies/surveys  to  understand  the  mental health crisis among NEET aspirants and medical students and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  planned  any  support  system  to  provide  psychological counselling, helpline services, stress management programs and career guidance targeted at NEET aspirants to prevent such suicides, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)  whether  the  Union  Government  plans  to  give  greater  autonomy  to  States  to  conduct medical entrance examination in light of recurring mental health concerns of students, if so, the details thereof?

## 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. 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 student suicides are available in the ADSI reports which are accessible at https://ncrb.gov.in/accidental-deaths-suicides-in-india-year-wise.html.

Central Government has taken several measures to provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being to avoid incidences of suicide.

-  The M/o Education on 10.07.2023 has 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.

-  Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centers have been issued by Ministry of Education to States/UTs on 16.01.2024 for consideration by way of appropriate legal framework. The Guidelines encompass several key aspects, including 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.
-  An initiative of Ministry of Education, MANODARPAN, covers a wide range of activities to  provide  psychological  support  to  students,  teachers  and  families  for  mental  and emotional well-being. These include National toll-free helpline that extends guidance to callers  through  trained  counsellors;  live  interactive  sessions  'Sahyog'  and  Webinars 'Paricharcha' that are organized regularly to create awareness about the importance of mental health among all stakeholders. These sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels and are also available on 'NCERT Official' YouTube Channel.
-  A National Tele Mental Health Programme has been launched in 2022, to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on 17.07.2025, 36 States/  UTs have set up 53 Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States  (MANAS) Cells.  More  than  29,75,000  calls  have  been  handled  on  the  helpline number. The Government has also launched Tele MANAS Mobile Application to provide support for mental health issues ranging from wellbeing to mental disorders.
-  To address the burden of mental disorders, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) implements the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP provides support to States/UTs through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels, interalia,  include  outpatient  services,  assessment,  counselling/  psycho-social  interventions, continuing  care  and  support  to  persons  with  severe  mental  disorders,  drugs,  outreach services, ambulance services etc.
-  In addition to the above, the Government has upgraded more than 1.81 lakh Sub Health Centres  (SHCs)  and  Primary  Health  Centres  (PHCs)  to  Ayushman  Arogya  Mandirs. Mental health services have been added in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

As per Section 14 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 the National Eligibility  cum  Entrance  Test  (NEET)  is  to  be  conducted  as  uniform  entrance  test  for admission to the undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all medical institutions in the country.

Hon'ble Supreme Court through its Judgement dated 29th April 2020 in Christian Medical College Vellore Association vs. UOI & Ors has upheld the NEET as a uniform entrance test for  admission  to  the  undergraduate  and  postgraduate  courses  in  all  medical  institutions, noting that Uniform Entrance Test qualifies the test of proportionality and is reasonable.

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