25,000-Plus Indians Committed Suicide Due To Unemployment, Indebtedness During 2018-2020

New Delhi: More than 25,000 Indians died by suicide due to unemployment or indebtedness between 2018 and 2020, the Central government informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

During debate on Union budget in the upper House of Parliament, Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai gave a written reply to a question on unemployment.

Giving the break-up based on data provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the minister said 9,140 people took their lives due to unemployment while 16,091 people died due to bankruptcy or indebtedness during the two-year time period.

There has been a rise in number of suicides among unemployed, with the first year of pandemic (2020) seeing the maximum deaths — 3,548. In the two preceding years, 2851 and 2741 people had ended their lives life due to unemployment.

The Opposition has been raising the issue of unemployment with a number of opposition MPs saying that the budget doesn’t provide enough funds to deal with the issue in the wake of COVID-19.

“To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and is supporting the implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under NMHP in 692 districts of the country,” the minister said.

“The programme aims to provide suicide prevention services, workplace stress management, life skills training and counselling in schools and colleges; mental health services including prevention, promotion and long-term continuing care at different levels of district healthcare delivery system and promote community awareness and participation in the delivery of mental healthcare services,” Rai added.