New Delhi: In a landmark ruling aimed at addressing the growing crisis of student suicides in educational institutions, the Supreme Court on Friday issued a series of sweeping directives, including a ban on academic segregation based on marks and the mandatory registration of FIRs in all student suicide cases.
The ruling was delivered by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. It applies to schools, colleges, universities, private coaching centres, training academies, and hostels. It also draws powers from Articles 32 and 141 of the Constitution. The top court’s guidelines are to be treated as the law of the land until formal legislation is enacted.
All States and Union Territories must frame rules within two months to regulate private coaching centres and ensure student safety. The Central government has been asked to file a compliance affidavit within 90 days detailing steps taken, coordination with state authorities, and progress made by the National Task Force on student mental health.
It raised grave concern over the increasing number of suicides, particularly in elite institutions like IITs and private universities, and said the “mental wellbeing of students must be a priority for institutions that stand in loco parentis.”
Case Backgrounder
The judgment stems from the case of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant. The student, referred to as Ms X, died by suicide in July 2023 while preparing for medical entrance exams at Aakash Byju’s Institute in Visakhapatnam. The court responded to her father’s petition and transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It overturned an earlier dismissal by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The court observed that distress among India’s youth points to a deeper “structural malaise” in the country’s educational ecosystem. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data India recorded 170,924 suicides in 2022, with students accounting for 7.6% — approximately 13,044 — of those deaths. Of these, over 2,200 were
To combat this crisis, the Supreme Court laid down a set of uniform mental health policies for all educational institutions, based on government frameworks like UMMEED, MANODARPAN, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. The key directives include:
One of the key directives prohibits the segregation, ranking or labeling of students based on academic performance. The court observed that this practice contributed to feelings of inferiority and isolation among students, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, and often led to emotional distress.
“The system of dividing students into ‘top’ and ‘weak’ batches has created a toxic academic environment. This must stop,” the court said.
FIR Mandatory in Campus Suicide Cases
The court also made it clear that every instance of a student suicide must be treated as a cognisable offence, and an FIR must be registered immediately under Section 154 of the CrPC. No preliminary enquiry will be permitted.
Investigations must be carried out by an officer not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
- Mandatory Mental Health Professionals: Institutions with over 100 students must employ at least one qualified mental health professional (psychologist, counsellor, or social worker).
- Smaller institutions must have formal referral systems to external experts.
- Suicide Helplines: Helpline numbers, including Tele-MANAS, must be prominently displayed in campuses, hostels, common areas, and websites.
- All staff must be trained at least twice a year in psychological first aid, warning sign identification, and referral mechanisms. Special sensitivity training is mandated for working with marginalized groups including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, LGBTQ+ students, and those with disabilities or trauma histories.
- Residential institutions must install tamper-proof ceiling fans and restrict rooftop and balcony access to deter impulsive self-harm.
- Institutions have been asked to have confidential systems for reporting sexual assault, ragging, and discrimination based on caste, gender, religion, or orientation. The student must also be provided with immediate psychosocial support.
- The top court urged educational institutions to reduce exam-related pressure by broadening definitions of success, promoting extracurricular activities, and ensuring interest-based career counselling for students and parents.
