The memory of that day is something that will never leave me. As a parent, the worst tragedy one can suffer is the loss of a child.

At the age of 17, my elder daughter gave up her life as a student of 10+2. She was aspiring to study medicine and was pursuing a course to pass NEET. Academic pressure led my daughter to take this step.

My daughter’s loss made me realise that I need to prevent others from taking this extreme step. I researched and was horrified to find that 9000+ students in India are giving up their life every year, which is about 1 life lost per hour.

Educational Institutes for IITJEE/NEET/CET/10+2/PU are increasingly obsessed with a result oriented approach driven by business objectives which give rise to stressful situations impairing the correct decision making abilities of both students and parents.

If not addressed adequately, this situation will cause frustrations which are detrimental for the mental health of the family as a whole. As a grieving parent, I request you to support the enforcement of the below mentioned proposals and stop other parents from losing their sons and daughters.

I suggest the following to be enforced in CBSE 10+2 Schools, PU Colleges & Tutorials for IITJEE/NEET/CET:

1. Start admission process after 10th board exams and stop one time fees collection
   Admission test/entrance exam must be conducted after the 10th board exams. On admission, fees should be collected on a quarterly basis. Only parent should be notified on non-payment and students should not be harassed. This will help students focus only on the 10th board exams and quarterly payment of fees reduces the financial burden on the parents.
2. STOP the Segregation of Students based on academic evaluations
   No institute should differentiate their existing students on academic performance into different classes/groups and deprive the excluded students of right to equal opportunity. This will give all the students an opportunity to choose the desired course they wish to pursue and prevent psychological imbalance, inferiority complex and demotivation.
3. STOP using punitive or coercive words in communications to students & parents
   Using words like “mandatory”, “compulsory”, “face serious consequence”, “will not be tolerated” often instil unnecessary fear and panic for the students. Rather the messages must only be informative of the details of exam/test/assignment/homework.
4. Students should be allowed to participate in Sports
   PU Colleges/CBSE Schools must allocate at least two 60 minute periods per week for sports comprising of at least 2 Indoor and 2 Outdoor games as a stress buster for the teenagers. This will also encourage them to spend more time outdoors rather than playing online games or excessively use smartphones.
5. SEND SMS alert to Parent when Student is missing from the Institute
   Attendance must be taken by the teacher at the start of all classes. The parents must be sent a SMS alert within 30 mins if the student is absent without any leave request from the parent. This will ensure prompt action towards ensuring the safety of the missing child.
6. Teaching Hours and Curriculum taught
   Teaching hours per day must not exceed 5 1/2 Hours and duration of a period for any subject should not exceed 60 minutes. This will ensure better retention skills for students and lesser fatigue for teachers.
7. Breaks and Holidays for Students and Teachers   
   There should be at least two 15 minutes short breaks in a day, one before Lunch and another after Lunch and a Lunch break for at least 40 minutes. Institutes must not be open on Sundays, National Holidays and other Holidays for conducting Classes or Tests. These breaks and holidays will prove as energy boosters for the students and teachers, and allow them to spend quality time with family and friends.
8. Form Parent-Teacher-Counselor Committees for physical & mental well-being of the Students
   Committee must have at least 4 Parents & Teachers & 1 qualified Counselor/Mentor. Committee must mandatorily meet at least once every 25 days & the minutes of the meeting must be taken on record and notified to all Students & Parents. Any complaint or requirement of this Committee must be addressed by a written communication within 15 Days by the Institute Management or Principal. The Committee’s Objective ensures that the Students Fatigue and Stress Levels will remain Low and their Motivation level will remain High.   

Sign this petition to ensure a #NoStress environment for students. For all the Parents who are grieving the loss of a child and for all the departed souls of students who lost their lives.

It is time we changed things for our present and future generations of Students and create an environment for them that is conduce to their future and prevent them from giving up.

Sign this petition asking the Education Minister and Departments to implement and enforce these proposals in the interest of the physical and mental well-being of our students.