The Supreme Court has constituted a national task force to address the increasing number of student suicides in higher educational institutions across the country. The decision follows multiple instances of suicides, particularly among students from marginalized communities, highlighting systemic deficiencies in handling mental health concerns within academic spaces. The Court has appointed former Supreme Court judge, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, to lead the 10-member panel.
A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan, while adjudicating on a petition filed by the parents of two Scheduled Caste (SC) students of IIT Delhi who died by suicide, remarked on the gravity of the issue. The Court noted, “The recurring instances of student suicides in higher educational institutions, including private educational institutions, serve as a grim reminder of the inadequacy and ineffectiveness of the existing legal and institutional framework in addressing mental health concerns of students on campuses and preventing them from taking the extreme step of committing suicides.”
The bench further observed that such deaths are not isolated incidents but part of a concerning trend affecting campuses nationwide. “We deem it necessary to discuss the pattern of students’ suicide… What disturbs us even more is that… [they] are not isolated incidents…,” stated the Court.
The Supreme Court has tasked the committee with identifying the primary causes behind student suicides, including but not limited to:
- Academic stress and performance-related anxiety
- Caste-based and gender-based discrimination
- Ragging and harassment
- Financial burdens and lack of support systems
- Stigma surrounding mental health issues
- Discrimination based on ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, political beliefs, and religious identity
The panel will assess the effectiveness of current laws, institutional policies, and support systems, recommending necessary amendments or interventions. The task force is expected to submit its findings and recommendations within four months.
The Supreme Court also scrutinized the manner in which the Delhi Police handled the suicides of IIT Delhi students Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar. Their parents alleged that their children had faced caste-based discrimination, and they sought a detailed investigation. However, the Delhi Police closed the case without filing an FIR, instead conducting a limited inquest proceeding under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which only determines the cause of death.
The Court found this approach legally unacceptable, stating, “Even if the police were of the view that there was no element of truth in what had been alleged by the appellants, it could have said so only after registering an FIR and conducting an investigation pursuant thereto. We say so because this is the law.”
The bench also criticized the police's assumption that the students died due to academic distress without proper investigation. “It seems that the Police very quickly jumped to the conclusion that the two boys were in some sort of depression as they were not doing well in their studies. Such conclusion of the Police may as well be correct. However, again, at the cost of repetition, we say that such a conclusion could have been arrived at only after following the due process of law, i.e., registration of an F.I.R. and investigation.”
According to data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request, 37 students across IITs died by suicide between 2019 and 2024. The highest numbers were reported from IIT Madras and IIT Hyderabad, with seven cases each, followed by IIT Delhi, which recorded six suicides. These statistics highlight a severe issue requiring urgent institutional intervention.
The Supreme Court has directed the task force to propose comprehensive measures to foster a more inclusive and mentally supportive academic environment. The Court stated, “The Task Force shall also put forth recommendations to address existing gaps, create a more inclusive and supportive academic environment, and ensure equal opportunities for members of marginalized communities.”
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