VIJAYAWADA/HYDERABAD: At a time when students studying in corporate colleges in Telangana are perishing unable to cope with academic pressure, the Andhra Pradesh government seems to be grossly underplaying the crisis.
State Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao has claimed that only seven students have committed suicide this year citing academic stress. However, educationists say the number could easily be around 50. In fact, around 10 cases were reported in the state in the last 15 days.
Srinivasa Rao admitted that most of the deaths have occurred in Narayana Group of Educational Institutions, promoted by state Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, who is related to Srinivasa Rao. After the sudden spike in suicides, the government sat bolt upright and called a meeting with representatives of the private educational institutions where Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu initiated a series of reforms.
After review, Srinivasa Rao said, “As academic stress is the main reason for suicides, we want to bring it down substantially from the present 18 hours study regimen, besides providing them facilities for recreation, sports and yoga to ease tension and stress.” He had inspected colleges and hostels in Visakhapatnam and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the management of Narayana institutions for running two hostels in Akkayapalem and Rama Talkies area without permission. There is a consternation among the parents and educationists that had the government woken up earlier, these suicides could have been prevented.
Though the two-member Chakrapani Committee has submitted a set of recommendations to the government to make residential colleges stress-free for students, the government has not acted on it. Though the committee’s report was tabled in the last Cabinet meeting, it was not taken up for discussion.
When asked what should be done to sanitise educational institutions, Chakrapani said: “The problem starts with parents. It grows into something unmanageable after a student is admitted to a college. Therapy should be done at the two levels.”
V Balasubrahmanyam, MLC (Teachers Constituency), dismisses the statistics dished out by the government. “We are seeing students committing suicide every other day, and the government says only 35 students had ended their lives since 2012. Would anyone believe this nonsense?” he asks. “What is painful is that after a student commits suicide, no punitive action is taken against anyone. The police register a case under Section 174 of IPC (Unnatural Death) holding no one responsible for his death.”
These suicide prevention helplines could avert a disaster
181: A 24x7 helpline launched by the Women and Child Welfare department for women in distress
40-6620 2000/2001 is a free helpline by Roshni, which offers counselling between 11 am and 9 pm