Supreme Court Report Says 9% of Students in India Experience Suicidal Thoughts

A survey conducted by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court of India to examine the mental health of students in the country’s higher education institutions found that 9 percent of students reported experiencing suicidal thoughts frequently or very often during the past year. The nationwide survey by the National Task Force included responses from more than 243,000 students, 67 percent of whom belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. According to the survey, 15 percent of students said they had experienced severe mental stress or anxiety for several weeks during the past six months. Around 34 percent also reported that they had felt isolated or like outsiders on campus to some extent.

Students also expressed mixed views about the support available at their institutions. While 56 percent said they were confident that the administration would handle serious issues fairly, around 32 percent reported that their institutions did not have counseling facilities. According to officials, students also showed persistent concerns about academic choices and future employment prospects. The findings come at a time when student suicides at higher education institutions in India are once again receiving significant attention. Serious concern was also raised following the deaths of two students at IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.

The Supreme Court-appointed panel also highlighted social and institutional problems faced by students during higher education. According to the report, students raised concerns about deep-rooted social discrimination, sexual harassment at medical and engineering colleges, and gender discrimination by faculty members at some universities. Students also reported alleged caste-based humiliation and discrimination in admissions, grading, language differences, and the attention given by teachers. The issue of identifying students’ caste based on their NEET-UG and JEE ranks were also included in the report.

However, a senior National Task Force official told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that these observations should be considered preliminary and tentative because the current survey sample is not representative. According to the official, the initial trends indicate a need for standardized support systems for students, better faculty training, efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, clear procedures for handling crises, and regular monitoring of students’ mental well-being.

In addition to the survey, the task force visited various educational institutions and consulted relevant stakeholders. So far, 30 meetings have been held at 19 institutions in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, and West Bengal. At various institutions, students identified strict attendance policies, heavy academic schedules, additional workloads in medical and clinical fields, and long on-call hours for medical students as major concerns. Students at engineering colleges also raised concerns about intense competition resulting from strict grading and employment standards, while students at state universities reported shortages of faculty members and inadequate academic support.

Students in some fields, including dentistry and nursing, said that a lack of practical training left them feeling inadequately prepared for professional work. PhD students also reported concerns about negligence, excessive control, and exploitation by some supervisors. The National Task Force was established by the Supreme Court in March 2025 to examine the growing number of student suicides and issues related to mental health and well-being at higher education institutions. The panel’s final report is expected to be submitted by October 31.