SC Mandates Mental Health Support for Students

• The Supreme Court mandated comprehensive mental health support in all educational institutions.
• New guidelines aim to combat rising student suicides, which have nearly tripled since 2001.
• Institutions must now provide counsellors, staff training, and create inclusive campus cultures.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th July: The Supreme Court of India on Friday issued a landmark judgment, unveiling 15 binding nationwide guidelines aimed at tackling the alarming rise in student suicides across educational institutions. The Court characterized the high rate of young suicides as a result of “systemic failure” and a “structural malaise” within India’s learning ecosystem, making mental health support an obligation rather than an option for all schools, colleges, coaching centers, universities, and hostels.

Shocking Statistics Highlight Crisis India recorded 1,70,924 suicides in 2022, with students accounting for 13,044 (7.6%) of these, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. Over 2,200 student suicides were directly attributed to exam failure. Student suicide cases have nearly tripled in the past twenty years, increasing from 5,425 in 2001 to over 13,000 in 2022, indicating mounting academic, social, and psychological pressures on youth. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh collectively accounted for nearly a third of all student suicides, with coaching hubs such as Kota and Chennai identified as “high-risk zones.”

Major Supreme Court Guidelines (Effective Immediately)

• Mental Health Support & Counsellors: Every educational institution with over 100 students must appoint a qualified mental health counsellor, psychologist, or social worker, while smaller institutions must formally link with external mental health professionals. Dedicated mentors are to be assigned in small batches to provide confidential support, especially during exams and academic transitions.
• Mandatory Biannual Staff Training: All teaching and non-teaching staff are required to undergo mental health and crisis response training by certified professionals at least twice a year, covering topics such as psychological first aid and distress signal identification.
• Inclusive, Non-Discriminatory Campus Culture: Staff must be equipped to sensitively support vulnerable groups, including SC/ST/OBC/EWS students, LGBTQ+ youth, and those with disabilities. The guidelines prohibit batch segregation, public shaming, or pressure tactics related to academic performance.
• Proactive Institutional Safeguards: Mental health policies must be publicly accessible and updated annually, with suicide prevention and wellness helpline numbers (e.g., Tele-MANAS) visibly posted. The curriculum should incorporate life skills, emotional regulation, and mental wellness education, and institutions must establish internal committees to address issues like sexual harassment and discrimination.
• Direct Oversight and Monitoring: Institutions are mandated to maintain anonymized wellness and incident records and to set up written protocols for emergency referral and crisis intervention. State and central governments are instructed to rapidly implement these measures, establish regulatory oversight and complaint mechanisms, and submit a compliance affidavit within 90 days.

This ruling by the Supreme Court aligns with the Government’s existing “Manodarpan” and “Ummeed” initiatives, aiming to integrate national standards for suicide prevention, psychological support, and student resilience building. The Court’s sweeping order is set to transform campus life, emphasizing that student mental health is now an institutional responsibility.