NEW DELHI: In response to the alarming rise in student suicides in higher education institutions, members of the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force will meet medical students, recent graduates, and postgraduates in Delhi next week to gather first-hand accounts and develop a preventive action plan.
The closed-door consultation is scheduled for July 26 from 2 pm to 4 pm and will be facilitated by members of the task force. Participants are required to register in advance, with the venue to be disclosed only to those invited.
“We are planning a stakeholder consultation meeting on July 26 in Delhi. It will be facilitated by members of the National Task Force. Please note that due to the nature of this meeting, participation is only by registration and invitation. Venue will be informed to the registered participants,” read a message circulated by task force members.
A series of recent student suicide cases have sent shockwaves through the academic community. A 20-year-old student in Odisha died after setting herself ablaze on campus, allegedly over inaction on her sexual harassment complaint against a teacher. In Greater Noida, a student at Sharda University was found dead in her hostel. A suicide note recovered from the scene accused two of her teachers of subjecting her to severe mental duress. In yet another incident, a UPSC aspirant allegedly died by suicide just a day ago.
“Something deeper is troubling our students and we need to understand it from them directly. This will be a space for them to speak freely. Based on what we hear, we aim to build a more structured mechanism to prevent such tragedies," a member of the task force told the TNIE.
The task force, constituted by the Supreme Court on March 24, was tasked with framing comprehensive guidelines to address the mental health challenges faced by students in higher education. The court's decision came in response to the growing number of suicides being reported from campuses across the country.
As part of its broader plan, the task force is also preparing to launch a dedicated website and questionnaire, likely in August, to deepen its understanding of the pressures faced by students.