Parliament Question: Student Suicides in Higher Educational Institutions

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 172 ANSWERED ON 20.07.2026 Student Suicides in Higher Educational Institutions

172. Dr. D Ravi Kumar:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the recent observations of the Supreme Court describing the rising incidence of student suicides in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) as a systemic crisis requiring institutional accountability and structural reforms, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has implemented any measures as per the Court's directions regarding scholarship disbursement, vacancy and discrimination issues, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there are any other preventative measures implemented at HEIs to prevent student suicides, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the monitoring mechanism established by the Government to ensure effective implementation of these directions and prevent student suicides? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) & (b): The Ministry has taken cognizance of observations of the Hon’ble Court issued vide order dated 15.01.2026 in the matter of Criminal Appeal No. 1425/2025 @ SLP (Crl) No. 13324/2024.

Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order has been shared by the Ministry with all Centrally Funded Institutions, ACS/Pr. Secretaries /Secretaries of Higher/Technical Education Departments of States/UTs, and Regulatory Bodies of Higher/Technical Education for necessary compliance.

In order to provide equity in access for disadvantaged groups, the Central Government implements various scholarship and financial assistance schemes to support students belonging to marginalised sections. Department of Higher Education (DHE) implements the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Yojana under which students pursuing higher education in India, including SC, ST, OBC and minority students get scholarships as per Scheme guidelines.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment administers the Post Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students (PMS-SC) a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the State/UT govt aimed at educational empowerment of Scheduled Caste students. PMS-SC Scheme is an open-ended and Demand Driven Scheme based on caste and income. The State/UT govt. being the implementing agency invite application, verify and disburse through their designated scholarship portals.The Ministry of Education has emphasized timely filling of vacancies through Mission Mode Recruitment, under which vacancies are continuously monitored and reviewed. Special recruitment drives are also conducted regularly for SC/ST/OBC/EWS and PwD candidates to ensure inclusiveness and compliance with reservation policies. From September 2022, all CHEIs, have undertaken Mission Mode recruitment drive to fill the vacancies.

(c) & (d): The Department of Higher Education, guided by National Education Policy 2020 (NEP

2020), has emphasised the need to create awareness about students’ mental health and wellbeing and to ensure that the learning environments are engaging and supportive. It inter alia provides for availability of professional and career counselling, and counselling system for handling stress and emotional adjustment.

UGC has issued Guidelines for Promotion of Physical Fitness, Sports, Student’s Health, Welfare, Psychological and Emotional Well- being at Higher Education Institutions in April 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.

This Ministry, in July 2023, has also circulated a broad framework for emotional and mental well- being of students in HEIs with direction to all Centrally Funded Institutions to develop institutional mechanism to address the emotional and mental wellbeing of students in HEIs.

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, fortnightly sessions are held with faculty of higher education institutions to empower them to address student mental health concerns for early intervention. So far, more than 3900 faculty from over 160 Centrally Funded Institutions have participated in 49 online capacity building sessions since May 2024. Annual National Wellbeing Conclaves were organised at IIT Hyderabad in November, 2024 and at IIT Bombay in November, 2025. Recently, 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.

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.

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