NEW DELHI: The Union government informed the Lok Sabha, on Monday, that it had no data on the number of students who died by suicide in the country.
In a written response, Annpurna Devi, the Minister of State for Education, stated that the education ministry does not maintain data on the number of student suicides city/district-wise.
She was responding to a query seeking details on the nationwide count of student suicides, particularly in Kota, for the current year.
Devi said that the ministry is preparing a draft (UMMEED) Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower and Develop: Prevention of Suicide - Guidelines for Schools, 2023, which provides an understanding for all stakeholders of the school system about suicide, associated myths and facts, risk and protective factors and warning signs for identifying students at risk.
"Every Child Matters" is the underlying belief in developing these guidelines, she said.
The document is developed with a focus on providing directions to schools for enhanced sensitivity and understanding, aiming to offer support in the case of self-harm or attempted suicide by students.
It will also encourage the nurturing of partnerships among all stakeholders — schools, students, parents, and the community — towards developing and implementing clear strategies for the prevention of suicide.
Further, the document will provide a comprehensive action plan for the prevention of suicide in schools.
The minister also said that the Ministry of Education has launched an initiative, 'Manodarpan', under the 'AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan', intending to provide psychosocial support to students, their families and teachers across the country, for mental health and well-being during the times of COVID-19 and beyond.
All activities undertaken under the Manodarpan initiative are aimed towards supporting the mental health and well-being of students from schools, colleges and universities, including those students who are preparing for competitive examinations.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable.
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