Opinion SC taskforce on student suicides: A good first step

The Supreme Court’s decision this week to set up a task force to address the alarmingly high rate of student suicides in the country is an acknowledgement of a crisis. The statistics speak of a system failing its most vulnerable. According to the most recent NCRB data, there were over 13,000 student suicides in 2022. As the Court noted, they’re a “grim reminder” of how inadequate and ineffective existing frameworks have been in addressing the mental health concerns of students, and point to the need for a more “robust, comprehensive and responsive mechanism to address the various factors” that drive students to the final, irrevocable step.

That the court has not turned its eyes away from a problem that only seems to worsen — a 70 per cent increase in the last decade — is welcome. However, the task force, which is to be headed by former Supreme Court Justice Ravindra Bhat, is not the solution; it is merely one step towards addressing the challenge. Its work, which will include representatives from various fields, could shed much-needed light on what remains a little understood problem. It has been mandated with drawing up a report on a range of factors that lead to student suicides, including academic pressure, ragging, sexual harassment, financial burden, mental health stigma and discrimination based on caste, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation. It will also carry out an assessment of existing frameworks and measures, and make recommendations.

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But the larger picture of student well-being calls for the participation of all stakeholders: Parents and teachers who, with vigilance and compassion, must shepherd the young through the tough phases of life, instilling the understanding that there is life beyond a failed test; educational institutions that must invest in their students’ welfare and staff that is trained to identify the red flags. The government, too, must make good on the promise of initiatives like the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises student well-being and mental health, by prioritising reform that focuses on nurturing individual potential, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. Crucially, there needs to be a concerted effort to replace the hyper-competitiveness that characterises student life with a genuine love for knowledge, where curiosity, rather than rote learning, is rewarded. The Supreme Court’s initiative is a beginning, but results will only come from the sustained and collaborative action of all stakeholders.