Supreme Court constituted the NTF in 2025 in Amit Kumar V. Union of India case. to address the Mental Health Concerns of students and prevent commission of suicides in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).
Key Findings on Student Suicide (NTF)
- Vulnerability of Youth: 75% of mental health conditions begin before 24 years of age.
- Student suicides in India: Comprised 7.6% of total suicides in India(NCRB 2022).
- Lack of Support: 65% of institutes surveyed (2,119 HEIs) currently do not provide access to any mental health service providers.
Key Reasons for Student Suicide (NTF)
- Overlooking Silent Burdens: Conditions like depression are often-overlooked and pose significant challenges to early recognition and timely support.
- Massification of Higher Education: Gross Enrolment Ratio increased from 8% in 2001 to 28.4% in 2021-22, bringing persistent structural inequalities in access and outcomes.
- Geographical Imbalance: Students from rural and remote areas face additional barriers concerning access to institutions along with increased financial and social costs.
- Barriers to Substantive Participation: From marginalised communities like inequitable conditions of educational pathways, stigma of caste, reservation, lower ranking, low social esteem, etc.
- Absence of direct statutory, regulatory or institutional framework: Mostly interventions are generic and reactive.
- Existing ‘Suicide Prevention Strategy’ (2022) by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare), is abstract with no clear implementation guidelines.
Key Recommendations
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