The Supreme Court on 24th of March established a National Task Force (NTF) to tackle the growing mental health concerns of students and prevent suicides in higher educational institutions.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat to lead the task force. The court highlighted that the number of student suicides in educational institutions has now surpassed those of farmers due to agrarian distress.
Additionally, the apex court directed the Delhi Police to register an FIR based on complaints from the families of two students who died by suicide while studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, in 2023.
The court acknowledged that the frequent occurrence of student suicides, including in private institutions, reflects the shortcomings of the current legal and institutional framework in addressing mental health challenges on campuses. It stressed the urgent need for more effective mechanisms to support students and prevent such tragic incidents.
The NTF has been tasked with compiling a comprehensive report that identifies the primary factors contributing to student suicides, evaluating existing regulations, and recommending measures to strengthen protections. The task force will also have the authority to conduct surprise inspections at higher educational institutions.
Furthermore, the NTF has the discretion to propose additional measures beyond its initial mandate to ensure a holistic approach to student mental health and suicide prevention. The Supreme Court directed the task force to submit an interim report within four months and a final report within eight months.
This decision follows an appeal by the parents of two IIT-Delhi students, Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, who were found dead in their hostel rooms on July 8 and September 1, 2023, respectively. Their families had alleged that the students, both belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, had faced caste-based discrimination and were murdered. The Delhi High Court had earlier refused to direct the police to register an FIR, prompting the parents to approach the Supreme Court.
