SC Seeks Compliance Report on Student Mental Health Rules

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday directed all States and Union Territories to inform it within eight weeks about the steps taken to implement the guidelines it had issued to address mental health issues and prevent suicides among students in educational institutions.

A two-judge Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also granted the Centre eight weeks to file a compliance affidavit detailing the measures taken to enforce these guidelines.

The court was hearing a matter related to the implementation of directions issued in its July 25 judgment, which laid down a framework for mental health support and student protection in educational institutions.

In that verdict, the apex court had directed all States and Union Territories to notify, within two months, rules mandating registration, student protection norms, and grievance redressal mechanisms for all private coaching centres.

During Monday’s hearing, the Bench was informed that the Centre had been directed in July to file a compliance affidavit within 90 days. The court ordered that all States and Union Territories be impleaded as respondents in the case and submit their responses within eight weeks. The matter was posted for further hearing in January 2026.

Taking note of the increasing number of suicides among students, the Supreme Court had earlier underscored the urgent need to address the mental health crisis in educational institutions and issued pan-India guidelines to deal with the problem.

The court had observed that there exists a “legislative and regulatory vacuum” in India regarding a unified, enforceable framework for student suicide prevention in schools, colleges, coaching centres, and other academic environments.

Issuing 15 detailed guidelines, the Bench directed that they would remain in force and be binding until a suitable legislative or regulatory framework is enacted by the competent authority.

The judgment had also directed all educational institutions to adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing inspiration 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 court had stated.

It also noted that the Centre had already taken several preventive measures, including the release of the ‘Ummeed’ guidelines (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, and Develop) by the Ministry of Education in 2023 to prevent student suicides. The Ministry had also launched the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote students’ mental health and well-being.

The July 25 verdict had stemmed from an appeal against an Andhra Pradesh High Court order rejecting a plea to transfer to the CBI the investigation into the unnatural death of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant in Visakhapatnam.