Lok Sabha Question No. 23 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Suicide Cases of Students
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Deepender Singh Hooda

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 23 ANSWERED ON 01/12/2025

## Suicide Cases of Students

## 23. Shri Deepender Singh Hooda:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the total number of cases of suicides committed by students in the country during the last ten years including the current year, year-wise, State/UT-wise and age-wise;

(b) the details of main reasons identified for such suicides, including academic pressure, mental health issues, financial distress, or other factors; and

(c) whether the Government has formulated any time-bound plan or national framework to reduce cases of suicides among students, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (Dr. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  to  (c):  Education  is  subject  of  concurrent  list,  Centre  and  States  both  work  collaborbratively  for creating an enabling education ecosystem.

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.

As per these Reports, 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.

As far as the Central Government is concerned,  to address the issue of suicide, it 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.

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 such as National toll-free  helpline that has been extending guidance to callers through trained counsellor; and live  interactive  sessions  'Sahyog'  and  Webinars  'Paricharcha'  that  are  organized  regularly  to  create awareness about the importance of mental health among all stakeholders, students in all States/UTs.

These sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels and are also available on 'NCERT Official' YouTube Channel.

UGC has issued advisory to HEIs on 06.01.2023 circulating the National Suicide Prevention Strategy framed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention provides a framework for multiple stakeholders to implement activities for prevention of suicides in India. This national strategy aims to reduce suicide mortality by 10% in the country by 2030. The NSPS, 2022 is available at this ministry's website: https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/National%20Suicide%20Prevention%20Strategy.pdf

UGC  has  issued  Guidelines  for  Promotion  of  Physical  Fitness,  Sports,  Student's  Health,  Welfare, Psychological and Emotional Well- being at HEIs on 13.04.2023.

The M/o Education on 10.07.2023 has also circulated a broad framework for emotional and mental wellbeing  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. Accordingly, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee have conducted workshops on Mental Wellness & Stress Management.

Department of Higher Education initiated the Integrated approach for Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme. It comprises online and  in-person  sessions,  visits  to  institutions  with  innovative  mental  health  practices,  and  an  Annual National Wellbeing Conclave. The goal is to empower faculty to address student mental health concerns for early intervention.

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.

To  address  the  burden  of  mental  disorders,  the  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare(MHFW)  is implementing  the  National  Mental  Health  Programme  (NMHP)  in  the  country.  The  District  Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts for which support is provided 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, inter- alia, 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 is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary healthcare level. 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. Operational guidelines and training manuals for various cadres on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

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 on the occasion of World Mental Health Day - October 10, 2024. Tele-MANAS Mobile Application is a comprehensive mobile platform that has been developed to provide support for mental health issues ranging from wellbeing to mental disorders. In addition, a video consultation facility has been introduced under Tele-MANAS, as an upgrade to the existing audio calling service.

The  Mental  Healthcare  Act,  2017  decriminalizes  the  suicide  under  Section  115,  recognizing  it  as  a manifestation of severe stress further mandating the government responsibility to provide care, treatment and rehabilitation to the person who attempts suicide.

In pursuance of Order dated 24.03.2025 of Hon'ble Supreme Court in Criminal Appeal No. 1425 of 2025 in the matter of Amit Kumar & Ors Vs. Union of India & Ors., a National Task Force (NTF) has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) S. Ravindra Bhat, Former Judge, SCI to identify predominant causes of suicides by students, analyze of existing regulations and suggest recommendations for strengthening students' protection.

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