Parliament Question: Mental Health of Students

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2340 ANSWERED ON 03.08.2026 Mental Health of Students †2340. Shri Murari Lal Meena: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the incidents of student suicides have increased during the last few years and that the students suicides account for a significant proportion of the total suicide cases in the country, if so, the State-wise details of the last five years; (b) whether the Government has conducted any study on the impact of examinations, competition, career-related pressure, parental expectations and social stress on the mental health of students, if so, the major findings thereof; (c) whether the Government has assessed that high unemployment, question paper leaks and uncertainty regarding employment after completion of education are also major factors of stress and despair among students; and (d) if so, the concrete and time-bound steps being taken by the Government to reduce incidents of students suicides and to increase employment opportunities for the youth? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d): 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). As per ADSI Report, causes of student suicides include family problems, love affairs, illness, and failure in examination. Year wise, State wise, Gender and Age group 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 . To address the issue of suicide, the Government 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. National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recognizes that education must build character and enable learners to become ethical, rational, compassionate, and caring individuals while preparing them for gainful and fulfilling employment. The Policy emphasizes holistic and multidisciplinary education that promotes cognitive development, character building, creativity, and key 21st centuryskills. It aims to develop well-rounded individuals with deep knowledge in their chosen fields alongside capabilities across a range of disciplines. NEP 2020 also underscores the importance of promoting student wellness through physical fitness, good health, psychosocial well-being, and sound ethical grounding to support high-quality learning and reduce mental stress. 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 on 13.04.2023, which provide for promoting physical fitness and sports activities for students; creating safeguards against academic pressure, peer pressure, behavioral issues, stress, career concerns, depression and other issues on the mental health of students; to teach positive thinking & emotions in the student community; and to promote a positive and supportive network for students. The Ministry of Education in July, 2023 has circulated a framework guideline on 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. The guidelines emphasised counselling services, early distress identification, suicide prevention SOPs, student support networks, strengthened grievance redressal mechanisms, and periodic institutional review to ensure sustained effectiveness. Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres (January 2024) has been issued by the Ministry of Education, which mandates student-support and protection measures such as counselling facilities, transparent fee structures, prohibition of batch segregation, and safeguards against practices that intensify academic pressure - extending mental-wellbeing protections beyond campuses. An Integrated approach for Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing has been conceptualized under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme. Under this integrated approach, two fortnightly sessions are being held with faculty of higher education institutions to empower them to address student mental health concerns for early intervention. Annual National Wellbeing Conclaves were organised at IIT Hyderabad in November, 2024 and at IIT Bombay in November, 2025. A Regional Workshop on Mental Health was organized on 12-13 July 2026 at IIT Madras, which brought together institutional leaders, faculty, students, and mental health professionals to share best practices and strengthen campus wellbeing ecosystems. More than 4000 faculty have participated in online capacity building sessions, conclaves and regional workshop since May 2024. All IITs, IIMs, NITs and IIITs have put in place dedicated mental health or counselling centres within their campuses, staffed with full-time or visiting professional counsellors, clinical psychologists, and in some cases, psychiatrists. A large number of institutes often host mental health training sessions to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and educate students about mental health issues. These sessions cover topics such as stress management, coping strategies, and recognizing the signsof mental health issues. Some Institutes offers on/off-campus counselling services, where students can meet with mental health professionals. NEP 2020 envisages integration of skill development and vocational education with mainstream higher education to enhance employability, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning. AICTE is actively strengthening skill development by embedding it into technical education. It partners with industries and institutions to offer online skill courses aligned with the regular curriculum, along with skill-focused programmes, compulsory internships, and vocational degrees. To support skill development, the SWAYAM Plus portal has also been launched, focusing on upskilling and reskilling the workforce. More than 500 courses have been developed curated from 89 industry partners across 17 sectors and offered on emerging areas such as AI, Data Analyst etc. So far, more than 6,00,000 students registered on the platform. The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) bridges the gap between academic learning and industry requirements by providing structured on-the-job training to graduates and diploma holders. The Scheme promotes industry-integrated education through Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP), supports apprenticeships in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and facilitates academic credit integration through the NATS Assessment and Creditisation Framework. ***