Student suicides: National Task Force says there is no ‘foolproof’ way to prevent them, but calls for overhaul of campus support systems

The National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to address mental health concerns among students and prevent suicides in higher educational institutions (HEIs), has called for wide-ranging reforms in campus support systems, mental health services, faculty recruitment, and scholarship disbursal, saying student well-being must become central to higher education governance.

In its interim report, the task force said there is no “foolproof mechanism” to prevent student suicides, but stressed that institutional restructuring, effective grievance redressal systems, faculty support, and accessible mental health services could significantly reduce student distress.

The report found major gaps in the availability and the quality of counselling services across campuses.

Data by the University Grants Commission (UGC) from 1,456 institutions showed that 27,136 individuals were reported as dedicated counsellors for nearly 59.8 lakh students. However, the task force observed that many institutions counted faculty members, placement coordinators, academic advisers, and Equal Opportunity Cell members as counsellors despite lacking formal mental health training.

Among 31 centrally-funded technical institutions surveyed by the Ministry of Education, only a handful reported having standard operating procedures for mental health emergencies, while none had postvention protocols to respond to student suicides. Explicit safeguards relating to privacy and confidentiality were reported by a very small proportion of these 31 institutions.

The task force recommended that all campuses provide student-friendly mental health services delivered by qualified professionals and establish clear confidentiality protocols. It also called for periodic anonymous feedback from students to assess the effectiveness of campus mental health services and reduce stigma around seeking help.

When contacted, Seema Mehrotra, professor of Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS and a member of the task force, said that the work of the task force is in progress and the final report is expected in a few months.

Survey findings

Preliminary findings from student surveys pointed to significant levels of distress among students. About 15% of respondents reported experiencing periods of anxiety, low mood or emotional distress lasting for weeks in the previous six months. Nine per cent said they had experienced suicidal thoughts often or very often during the past year, while another 21% reported such thoughts sometimes.

While 82% of students said they had at least two to four close friends on campus, nearly 34% reported feeling like outsiders. Only 43% were aware of counselling services available in their institutions, while 32% said such services were absent and 26% were unsure whether they existed.

The survey also found that 36% of students were uncertain about whether they had chosen the right academic path, while 39% were worried about future employment prospects.

Structural reforms

The task force recommended that all vacant faculty positions be filled within three months, with priority given to those reserved for marginalised and underrepresented communities. Vacancies in leadership positions such as Vice-Chancellors and Registrars should not remain vacant for more than a month, it said.

It also called for mandatory accessibility audits and improved campus facilities for students with disabilities and transgender students, including accessible hostels, washrooms, sports facilities and academic accommodations.

The report highlighted financial hardship as a major source of student stress and urged governments to clear scholarship backlogs. It recommended that no student should be barred from examinations, classes or hostels because of delays in scholarship disbursal.

Better monitoring

The task force proposed a national mechanism to maintain data on student suicides and urged the National Crime Records Bureau to separately classify suicides among school students and those in higher educational institutions.

The report noted that more than 3.6 lakh college students sought mental health support through government services in 2024, while over 1.54 lakh students contacted the Tele-MANAS helpline between October 2022 and October 2025. Of these, 5,642 calls related to suicidal concerns.

The task force said the findings underline the need for stronger mental health infrastructure, trained faculty, transparent administrative systems and responsive support mechanisms to address student distress before it escalates into tragedy.