Several steps taken to curb student suicides

The government has taken several steps to curb suicide cases among students, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said on Monday and added that 1.2 per cent of suicides were related to examination failures.

Asked about student suicides in Kota, a hub of coaching centres in Rajasthan for competitive examinations, the minister said a number of steps had been taken by the central and the state governments.

“Several initiatives have been taken by our government to curb incidents of suicide among students. According to NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) and Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India, only 1.2 per cent of total suicide cases are related to failure in examinations,” Majumdar told the House.

Speaker Om Birla, the Kota MP, was not in the chair when the question was taken up. The proceedings were being managed by Jagadambika Pal. Majumdar said the Union education ministry had started the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative for providing psychological support to students. He added that the Rajasthan government had also taken several steps to ensure mental health support for the students.

“The Rajasthan government issued a guideline in 2022 and again in 2023, which is enforced by the district administration. They have appointed 90 psychological counsellors ... There is also a toll free helpline,” he said. Majumdar added that 10,000 hostel gatekeepers had been trained to identify if a student required mental health-related help. Under another initiative -- dinner with DM -- students are invited to meet district administration officials, the minister said.