The Supreme Court has strongly criticized the ongoing rise in student suicides across India, calling it a reflection of systemic failure that cannot be ignored. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, while hearing a case involving the suspicious death of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant in Visakhapatnam, emphasized that student deaths due to suicide point to grave issues like psychological stress, academic pressure, social stigma, and institutional insensitivity.
The court cited the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) 2022 data titled *”Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India”*, which reported 13,044 student suicides—7.6% of the total 1,70,924 suicides in India. Among them, 2,248 cases were directly linked to academic failure. The bench stated that ignoring such alarming patterns would be a grave mistake, as mental health is a key component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
In a landmark move, the apex court issued 15 mandatory interim guidelines for all educational institutions—including schools, coaching centers, and colleges—until the Centre or state governments implement a legal or regulatory framework to prevent student suicides. Authorities have been directed to submit a compliance report within 90 days.
While ordering a CBI probe into the NEET aspirant’s death, the court highlighted the urgent need for mental health safeguards in cities like Kota, Jaipur, Sikar, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Delhi—popular hubs for competitive exam preparation.
