AHMEDABAD: Rising instances of student suicides have triggered a fresh political confrontation in Gujarat, with the Congress alleging that the BJP government's 'failed education and recruitment system' has pushed thousands of young people into despair.
Citing NCRB data, the Opposition claimed that 1,899 students died by suicide in Gujarat between 2022 and 2024, describing the trend as a reflection of policy failures rather than isolated personal tragedies.
Launching a sharp attack on the state government, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Media Convener and Spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said the figures expose a "national crisis" driven by paper leaks, repeated examination irregularities, delayed recruitments, rising unemployment and the increasing commercialisation of education.
According to the data cited by the Congress, 568 students died by suicide in Gujarat in 2024 alone, compared to 620 in 2023 and 711 in 2022, taking the three-year total to 1,899.
Of these, 875 were boys, and 1,024 were girls, indicating that female students accounted for a larger share of the deaths during the period.
Drawing attention to the scale of the crisis, Doshi claimed that an average of nearly three students ended their lives every two days in Gujarat.
He further alleged that 108 students died due to the fear of failing examinations, while 159 youths died by suicide because of unemployment, arguing that the statistics reveal growing academic and economic distress among young people.
Expanding the attack beyond Gujarat, the Congress cited national figures, claiming that 14,488 students died by suicide across India in 2024, while the number stood at 41,424 during the last three years.
The party alleged that student suicides have risen by nearly 80 per cent over the past decade, calling it one of the country's most alarming social challenges.
The Congress claimed that more than 152 examination-related controversies, including alleged paper leaks and irregularities in examinations such as NEET, CUET and GPSC, have severely eroded public trust.
Referring to the NEET paper leak controversy, the party said that these episodes highlight the devastating impact of examination-related irregularities on students' mental health and career prospects.
"The crisis is no longer about academic performance alone. Students are losing not to books but to a corrupt and failed education system," Doshi said.
He further alleged that millions of students are struggling under unbearable academic pressure, repeated paper leaks, examination malpractices, delayed recruitments, rising unemployment and the relentless commercialisation of education.
According to him, every student suicide represents not merely a statistic but the collapse of a family's dreams, years of hard work and enormous financial sacrifices.
Questioning the government's accountability, Doshi asked how many officials involved in paper leak cases or recruitment scams had actually been punished.
He alleged that repeated postponement of examinations, prolonged recruitment delays and uncertainty over employment opportunities have pushed many young aspirants into frustration and hopelessness.
The Congress also criticised the growing dependence on private coaching institutions, claiming that higher education has increasingly become a commercial enterprise that places an enormous financial burden on poor and middle-class families.
It alleged that lakhs of students and their families spend years preparing for competitive examinations only to face uncertainty because of examination irregularities and policy failures.
Demanding immediate reforms, the party called for strict action against those involved in paper leaks, examination malpractices and recruitment scams instead of what it described as symbolic measures.
It also sought the establishment of mandatory mental health counselling centres and 24×7 helplines in every school, college and university.
Among its other demands, the Congress called for a transparent, reliable and time-bound examination and recruitment system, regulation of the private coaching sector with fee controls, an independent inquiry into student suicides at both the state and national levels, and a comprehensive action plan to address the crisis.
It also demanded timely government recruitment, employment opportunities after graduation and a clearly defined career pathway for young aspirants.