"Academic Distress' and Student Suicides in India: A Crisis"- Wire

"India needs to stop sleepwalking into the student suicide crisis"- First post

"Student Suicides On An All-Time Rise" Warns NCRB Data 

These are not just headlines, but stories and lives of promising young students who have succumbed to the pressure of expectations and faced defeat due to lack of mental support. 

In India, student suicide has become a pressing concern- According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), in 2020, a student took their own life every 42 minutes; that is, every day, more than 34 students died by suicide.  A study published by Lancet stated that India has one of the highest suicide rates on the planet, with a significant proportion between the ages of 15 and 29 years old.

The issue of student suicides in India is multidimensional and multifactorial as there are many socio-economic factors that come into play. Depression and mental health issues in India continue to remain largely undiagnosed due to the social stigma attached to it. According to a study published by Lancet, one of the the most common reason stated for student suicide in India has been failing exams. India currently does not have a suicide prevention policy and lacks infrastructure. It is high time that educational institutions and policy-makers focus on broader structural issues and make sure that no student shall come to the point that they choose to end their life. The interventions are necessary to humanize the issue and understand the verbal and non-verbal signs that individuals give before taking their lives. 

When counseling is made mandatory at schools and institutions, teachers, school authorities, medical professionals and parents can recognize the warning signs and have open conversations, which helps us save a thousand lives every year.

Here is our appeal to Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, honorable Education Minister of India, and Sabitha Indra Reddy, honorable Education Minister of Telangana state to appoint Counseling bodies in Schools to make mental health support accessible to all students.

Join us and show your support to the mission by signing this petition.