**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1485, answered on 09/02/2026, concerning dropout and suicide rates in IITs, NITs, and IIMs. The response clarifies that there is no concept of "drop out" in Higher Education, as students choose to migrate between programs and institutions. It also outlines various measures taken by the Central Government to address suicide and promote mental well-being. A National Task Force (NTF) has been formed to identify predominant causes of suicides by students and suggest recommendations.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Dropout Rates:**
* There is no concept of "drop out" in Higher Education as students migrate between courses and institutions.
* **Suicide Data Collection:**
* The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) collects suicide data from police-recorded cases.
* Year-wise and state-wise details of student suicides are accessible in the ADSI reports available at https://ncrb.gov.in/accidental-deaths-suicides-in-india-year-wise.html.
* **Central Government Measures to Address Suicide:**
* The Central Government takes multi-pronged measures and provides psychological support to students, teachers, and families.
* The Ministry of Education's MANODARPAN initiative offers psychological support through a toll-free helpline, live interactive sessions ("Sahyog" and "Paricharcha"), and webinars.
* Sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels and the 'NCERT Official' YouTube Channel.
* **UGC Initiatives:**
* UGC issued an advisory in January 2023, circulating the National Suicide Prevention Strategy framed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
* UGC issued guidelines for promotion of physical fitness, sports, student's health, welfare, psychological and emotional well-being at HEIs on 13.04.2023.
* The Ministry of Education circulated a framework for mental well-being of students in HEIs in July 2023.
* IITs have conducted workshops on Mental Wellness & Stress Management.
* **Mental Health Programs:**
* The Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme focuses on positive mental health, resilience, and wellbeing.
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP).
* Over 1.81 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been upgraded to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
* A National Tele Mental Health Programme was launched in 2022.
* 53 Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (MANAS) Cells have been established.
* A Tele MANAS Mobile Application has been launched.
* **Legal and Task Force Actions:**
* The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 decriminalizes suicide under Section 115.
* A National Task Force (NTF) has been constituted to identify predominant causes of suicides by students and suggest recommendations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Students, Teachers, and Families**
* *Impact:* Increased access to psychological support and mental health resources. Awareness of mental health issues.
* *Action Required:* Utilize available resources such as helplines, counseling services, and mental health programs.
**Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): IITs, NITs, IIMs, Central Universities**
* *Impact:* Expected to proactively incorporate mental well-being measures in institutional functioning. Must instill confidence in students.
* *Action Required:* Implement the framework for emotional and mental well-being circulated by the Ministry of Education. Organize workshops and programs on mental wellness.
**Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare**
* *Impact:* Continued responsibility for providing support and resources for mental health.
* *Action Required:* Continue implementing and strengthening mental health programs and initiatives.
**National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)**
* *Impact:* Accountable for data collection of suicide instances and sharing via ADSI reports.
* *Action Required:* Maintain accurate records of suicides and provide data to inform policy and intervention strategies.
**National Task Force (NTF)**
* *Impact:* Responsible for identifying the causes of student suicides and recommending solutions.
* *Action Required:* Analyse existing regulations and suggest recommendations for strengthening students' protection.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The primary ministry responsible for addressing student dropouts and suicides in IITs, NITs, and IIMs.
MANODARPAN: Initiative of the Ministry of Education, offering psychological support to students, teachers, and families.
National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB): Collects and publishes data on suicides in India through its Accidental Death & Suicide in India (ADSI) reports.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017: Decriminalizes suicide under Section 115 and mandates government responsibility for care and treatment.
National Task Force (NTF): Constituted to identify causes of student suicides, analyze regulations, and suggest recommendations for student protection.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1485
ANSWERED ON 09/02/2026
Dropout and Suicide Rate in IITs/NITs/IIMs
1485. Shri K Radhakrishnan:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that many Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT's), National Institutes of
Technology (NIT's), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM's) and Central Universities have
reported an exponential increase in the student dropout and suicide rates;
(b) if so, the details of dropouts and suicide rate in each IIT's, NIT's, IIM's and Central
Universities separately during the last five years, year-wise;
(c) whether the Government is considering to conduct any enquiry on the context of this
increased dropout rates and suicide rates in the national institutions; and
(d) 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 (d): In the Higher Education sector, students have multiple options and they choose
and migrate from one course or programme or institute/university to another, as such there is
no concept of Drop Out in Higher Education.
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 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 to provide guidance to callers through trained
counsellor; 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 etc. These sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels and are
also available on ‘NCERT Official’ YouTube Channel.
UGC has issued advisory to HEIs in January, 2023 circulating the National Suicide
Prevention Strategy framed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. UGC also issued
Guidelines for Promotion of Physical Fitness, Sports, Student’s Health, Welfare,
Psychological and Emotional Well- being at HEIs on 13.04.2023.
The Ministry of Education in July, 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. Accordingly, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT
Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee have conducted workshops on Mental Wellness & Stress
Management.
Integrated approach for Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing under
the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme was started. 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 by early intervention.
To address the issue of mental health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MHFW) is
implementing National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country, which include
outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care
and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance
services etc at Community Health Centre(CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels. In
addition, 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.
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 02.02.2026, 36
States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States
(MANAS) Cells. More than 32,83,000 calls have been handled on the helpline number. The
Government has also launched Tele MANAS Mobile Application, which 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’s 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.
***