SC Issues 15 National Guidelines to Curb Student Suicides

New Delhi: Amid the rising incidence of suicides and mental health issues among students in educational institutions, the Supreme Court on Friday issued pan-India guidelines to address the crisis. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta laid down 15 guidelines, stating that these measures shall remain in force and binding until appropriate legislation or regulatory frameworks are enacted by the competent authority.

The court observed that there exists a "legislative and regulatory vacuum" in the country regarding a unified and enforceable framework for suicide prevention in educational institutions, coaching centres, and other student-centric environments.

The apex court directed all educational institutions to adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing from the “Ummeed” draft guidelines, the “Manodarpan” initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

“This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards,” the bench ordered.

The court specifically directed coaching hubs in cities like Kota, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai to implement heightened mental health protection and preventive measures.

These guidelines will apply to all educational institutions, government and private, including schools, colleges, universities, training centres, coaching institutes, residential academies, and hostels, irrespective of their affiliation.

The court noted that the Centre had launched initiatives such as Ummeed (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, and Develop) in 2023, aimed at preventing school student suicides, and Manodarpan, a mental health and well-being programme launched during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The judgment was delivered in response to an appeal against the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s order rejecting a plea to transfer the investigation of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant’s unnatural death in Visakhapatnam to the CBI.

Among the guidelines, the court mandated that all educational institutions with 100 or more enrolled students must appoint or engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker with demonstrable training in child and adolescent mental health.

Institutions with fewer than 100 students must establish formal referral linkages with external mental health professionals.

The court further directed all residential institutions to install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety mechanisms and to restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas to deter impulsive acts of self-harm.

Coaching centres and educational institutions were instructed not to segregate student batches based on academic performance or impose academic targets disproportionate to a student's capacity. Public shaming of underperforming students must also be avoided.

“All educational institutions shall establish robust, confidential, and accessible mechanisms for the reporting, redressal, and prevention of incidents involving sexual assault, harassment, ragging, and bullying based on caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or ethnicity,” the judgment stated.

The court emphasised a zero-tolerance policy for retaliatory actions against complainants or whistle-blowers. Immediate referral to trained mental health professionals must be ensured in such cases, prioritizing the physical and psychological safety of the student.

“Failure to take timely or adequate action in such cases, especially where such neglect contributes to a student's self-harm or suicide, shall be treated as institutional culpability, making the administration liable to regulatory and legal consequences,” the court added.

In a related case, the court also took cognisance of student suicides in higher education and ordered the formation of a National Task Force to address mental health concerns and suicide prevention in these institutions.

“We clarify that these guidelines are not in supersession of, but in parallel with, the ongoing work of the National Task Force and are intended to provide interim protective measures in the meantime,” the bench stated.

The court also directed all States and Union Territories to notify rules within two months mandating registration, student protection norms, and grievance redressal mechanisms for all private coaching centres.

The Centre has been directed to file a compliance affidavit within 90 days, detailing the steps taken to implement the guidelines and the monitoring systems established. The matter has been posted for further hearing on October 27.