The Supreme Court (SC) in Sukdeb Saha vs. The State of Andhra Pradesh case has issued 15 binding mental health guidelines applicable across educational institutions until formal legislation is enacted to curb the rising Student Suicides.
Key Supreme Court Guidelines on Mental Health Policy in Educational Institutions
- Mental Health Policy: A uniform mental health policy must be adopted and implemented, drawing from Ummeed, Manodarpan, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
- The policy should be updated annually and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards.
- Awareness: Helpline numbers (including Tele-MANAS) must be displayed prominently in campuses and hostels.
- Avoid academic stress: Institutions must avoid academic segregation, public shaming, or assigning unmanageable academic targets.
- Mental Heath Assistance:
- Institutions With ≥100 Students
- Must appoint or engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health.
- Institutions With <100 Students
- Should establish formal referral linkages with external mental health professionals.
- For Residential-Based Institutions
- Install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety devices.
- Restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas to deter impulsive self-harm acts.
- Concerning Student Protection: Establish robust, confidential, and accessible redressal mechanisms against sexual assault, harassment, ragging, and bullying based on caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or ethnicity.
- Zero tolerance for retaliation: Action against complainants or whistle-blowers should be monitored and stopped and to ensure immediate referral to trained mental health professionals.
- Legal Liability: Failure to act adequately in such cases will be treated as institutional culpability, subjecting the administration to regulatory and legal consequences.
- National Level Initiative: A National Task Force is to be constituted to address mental health issues and prevent student suicides in higher educational institutions.
Student Suicide Rate in India
- According to NCRB, more than 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2022 of which 2,248 were linked to failures in examinations.
- Upward trend : While the population of 0-24-year-olds decreased from 582 million to 581 million over the last decade, student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044.
- Leading Factors:
- Academic pressure and parental expectations
- Isolation and lack of peer support
- Inadequate access to mental health resources
- Stigma around psychological help
Significance of the Supreme Court Guidelines
- Fills the Regulatory Gap: Offers a binding framework in the absence any framework to address students mental health and Suicide.
- Student-Centric Approach: Encourages early intervention, protection, and support.
- Promotes Institutional Accountability: Holds administrations liable for negligence in addressing student distress.
- Holistic Prevention Strategy: Integrates physical safety, psychological support, and inclusive anti-discrimination mechanisms.
Challenges in Addressing Student Mental Health
- Legislative Vacuum: Absence of a unified and enforceable regulatory framework addressing student’s Suicide.
- Lack of Proactive Measures: Institutions delay mental health initiatives until a crisis emerges.
- Gap in Institutional Support: Limited presence of trained counsellors or psychologists in campuses.
- India has 0.75 Psychiatrists per 100,000 populations, while the desirable number is anything above 3 Psychiatrists per 100,000.
- Social Stigma: Cultural reluctance to seek help for mental distress or depression.
- Study suggests that Asian patients are more likely to report their somatic symptoms, such as dizziness, while not reporting their emotional symptoms.
Government Initiatives to Support Student Mental Health
- UMMEED (2023): The Union Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed the draft UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathize, Empower, Develop) guidelines with ‘Every Child Matters’ as the underlying belief to prevent the spate of student suicides.
- Manodarpan Initiative (2020): Launched by the Union Education Ministry, it provides psychological support to students through a toll-free helpline and digital resources.
- National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022): India’s first national strategy by MoHFW, aiming to reduce suicide mortality by 10% by 2030 through multi-sectoral interventions.
- “Dinner with Collector” – Kota Model: Enables distressed students to directly interact with district officials, offering emotional support and accessible grievance redressal.
- National Mental Health Policy (2014):Focuses on strengthening mental health services, awareness, and infrastructure, especially in educational settings.
- Tele-MANAS (2022): A 24/7 free tele-mental health helpline offering nationwide counseling services, particularly targeting remote and underserved populations.
- Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 : It ensures access to mental health services and safeguards the rights of individuals with mental illness, replacing the outdated 1987 legislation
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Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s timely guidelines offer a blueprint for securing students’ mental well-being. Active implementation by institutions, supported by regulatory oversight and public accountability, is essential to nurture safe, supportive, and resilient learning environments that safeguard the future of India’s youth.
Additional Reading: Student Suicide, Mental Health in India
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