Student suicides: National task force says there’s no ‘reliable’ way to prevent them, but calls for overhaul of campus support systems

The National Task Force (NTF) established by the Supreme Court to address student mental health and prevent suicide in higher education institutions (HEIs) has called for sweeping reforms to campus support systems, mental health services, faculty recruitment and scholarship payments, saying student welfare must become central to higher education governance.

In its interim report, the task force said there was no “reliable mechanism” to prevent student suicides, but emphasized that institutional restructuring, effective grievance redressal systems, faculty support and accessible mental health services could significantly reduce student stress.

The report found large gaps in the availability and quality of counseling services across campuses.

University Grants Commission (UGC) data from 1,456 institutions showed that 27,136 individuals were reported as dedicated advisors to nearly 59.8 million students. However, the task force found that many institutions counted faculty members, placement coordinators, academic advisers and members of the equal opportunities cell as advisers, despite lacking formal training in mental health.

Among 31 centrally funded technical institutions surveyed by the Department of Education, only a handful said they had standard operating procedures for mental health emergencies, while none had post-event protocols to respond to student suicides. Explicit safeguards regarding privacy and confidentiality were reported by a very small proportion of these 31 institutions.

The task force recommended that all campuses provide student-friendly mental health services provided by qualified professionals and establish clear confidentiality protocols. She also called for regular anonymous feedback from students to evaluate the effectiveness of campus mental health services and reduce the stigma surrounding help-seeking.

When contacted, Seema Mehrotra, professor of clinical psychology at NIMHANS and member of the task force, said the work of the task force is underway and the final report is expected in a few months.

Survey Findings

Preliminary findings from student surveys indicated significant levels of anxiety among students. About 15% of respondents reported experiencing a period of anxiety, low mood, or emotional upset lasting several weeks in the previous six months. Nine percent reported experiencing suicidal thoughts often or very often in the past year, while another 21% reported having such thoughts sometimes.

While 82% of students reported having at least two to four close friends on campus, nearly 34% said they felt like outsiders. Only 43% were aware of counseling services available at their institutions, while 32% reported a lack of such services and 26% were not sure if they existed.

The survey also found that 36% of students were unsure whether they had chosen the right academic path, while 39% were concerned about future job prospects.

Structural reforms

The task force recommended that all faculty vacancies be filled within three months, with priority given to marginalized and underrepresented communities. Vacancies in senior positions such as vice-chancellors and registrars should not remain vacant for more than a month, he said.

She also called for mandatory accessibility audits and improvements to campus facilities for students with disabilities and transgender students, including barrier-free dormitories, washrooms, sports facilities and academic housing.

The report highlighted financial hardship as a major source of student stress and urged governments to clear backlogs of scholarships. He advised that no student should be prevented from attending examinations, classes or hostel due to delays in disbursement of scholarships.

Better tracking

The task force proposed a national mechanism for keeping data on student suicides and called on the National Crime Records Bureau to separately classify college and university student suicides.

The report states that more than 3.6 million students sought mental health support through government services in 2024, while more than 1.54 million students contacted the Tele-MANAS helpline between October 2022 and October 2025. Of those, 5,642 calls were about suicidal concerns.

The task force said the findings highlight the need for stronger mental health infrastructure, trained teaching staff, transparent administrative systems and responsive support mechanisms to address student difficulties before they escalate into tragedy.

Published – 11 Jun 2026 20:43 IST