Parliament Question: National Level Study on Students Suicides

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3534 ANSWERED ON 10/08/2026 National Level Study on Students Suicides †3534. Shri Imran Masood: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has conducted any national-level study on the incidents of suicide by students in schools, colleges and higher educational institutions during the period from January to June, 2026; (b) if so, the details of such cases, the major reasons therefor along with the psychosocial support provided to the affected students, State-wise and institution-wise; (c) whether the Government has prepared any national action plan to address academic stress, ragging, mental health issues and to strengthen counselling services, if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Government proposes to provide trained psychological counsellors and a 24x7 support system in all higher educational institutions; and (e) 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 (e): 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 , 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 . As per these Reports, there are various causes of suicides like professional/career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain etc. 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. 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,including students in all States/UTs etc. These sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels and are also available on ‘NCERT Official’ YouTube Channel. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has mandated the appointment of Counsellor & Wellness Teacher in every Secondary and Senior Secondary school affiliated with it in its Affiliation bye laws. In Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), there is a provision for engagement of two counsellors (one male and one female) in each Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) on contractual basis and total 830 counsellors have been engaged on contractual basis in JNVs across the country as of February, 2026. Further, directions have been issued to all KVs to appoint counsellors in all schools on contract basis for the time being. 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. UGC has launched an extensive anti-ragging outreach initiative across all of its official social media channels, including X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and YouTube. These campaigns feature short videos, banners, and other creatives disseminated in 21 languages to ensure wide accessibility and engagement. Further, UGC has taken action as per the UGC Regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions, 2009. Anti-ragging measures viz. establishment of 24x7 National anti-ragging helpline, anti-ragging workshops and seminars, mandatory inclusion of severe consequences of ragging in prospectus of institutions, mandatory online undertaking by students and parents every academic year, display of anti-ragging posters at prominent places in the institutions etc. have been taken to ensure compliance of the regulation. 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 educationinstitutions 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. At the institutional level, several HEIs are operationalising the framework through proactive, multi-layered models. For instance, IIT Kharagpur has implemented a comprehensive SETU (Support, Empathy, Transformation & Upliftment) framework, moving from reactive care to preventive, round-the-clock support. Adhering to the Ministry’s guidelines, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee have conducted workshops on Mental Wellness & Stress Management. 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 signs of mental health issues. Some Institutes offers on/off-campus counselling services, where students can meet with mental health professionals. To address the issue of mental health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing National Mental Health Programme 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 06.08.2026, 36 States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (MANAS) Cells. More than 4325000 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. ***