NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on the mental health concerns of students and the prevention of suicides in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), in its second meeting, discussed developing a portal for data collection.
The NTF meeting, which was held under the Chairmanship of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, a former SC judge, also discussed the existing regulations and guidelines.
“During the meeting, actions taken so far were reported and discussed in detail. Agenda points included developing a portal/website for data collection; reports and regulations/guidelines; dissemination of questionnaires; gathering support from different sectors; onboarding of officers from DoSEL and MoHFW; coordination with institutions and NIEPA, among others,” said a statement from the Union Education Ministry.
The meeting, which was held on April 12, had disability rights advocates, psychologists, and professors as its members.
In the meeting, the task force also decided to form three working groups, each responsible for a different task.
“The progress of working groups so far was discussed. This includes compiling and reviewing previous reports, examining existing laws and regulations, and developing a methodology for designing questionnaires,” said the statement.
On March 24, the Supreme Court issued significant directions concerning the prevention of student suicides in higher education institutions.
The judgment underscored the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address mental health concerns among students.
The apex court also constituted a National Task Force under the chairmanship of Justice Bhat, along with other experts from various domains as members, to discuss and deliberate on issues related to mental health concerns among students, the prevention of suicides in educational institutions, and to recommend preventive measures.
The key areas of focus include identifying predominant causes leading to student suicides, such as academic pressure, discrimination, financial burdens, and the stigma surrounding mental health; analysing the effectiveness of existing student welfare and mental health regulations/policies; and proposing reforms to strengthen institutional frameworks and create a supportive academic environment.
The members include Dr Alok Sarin, Consultant Psychiatrist, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi; Prof. Mary E. John (retired), Former Director, Centre for Women's Development Studies, New Delhi; Arman Ali, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People; Prof. Rajendar Kachroo, Founder, Aman Satya Kachroo Trust; Dr Aqsa Shaikh, Professor of the Department of Community Medicine in Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi; Dr Seema Mehrotra, Professor of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS; Prof. Virginius Xaxa, Visiting Professor at the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi; Dr Nidhi S. Sabharwal, Associate Professor, Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi; and Aparna Bhat, Senior Advocate (as amicus curiae).
The Task Force's ex-officio members include Dr Vineet Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; Amit Yadav, Secretary of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; and Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, among others.
The first meeting of the Task Force was virtually held on March 29, in which the Chairperson outlined the agenda of the meeting, highlighting the need for the collection of data from various stakeholders, which included teachers, academics, persons involved in the social sector, policymakers, formulation of diverse set questionnaires for collection of data from multiple stakeholders, making available resources for the task force for effective discharge of its time-bound functions, formation of working groups for division of works, dissemination and publicity of the questionnaires and activities to be taken up by the task force etc.
The bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan in their order said, “The recurring instances of student suicides in higher educational institutions, including private educational institutions, serve as a grim reminder of the inadequacy and ineffectiveness of the existing legal and institutional framework in addressing mental health concerns of students on campuses and preventing them from taking the extreme step of committing suicides. These tragedies underscore the urgent need for a more robust, comprehensive, and responsive mechanism to address the various factors that compel certain students to resort to taking their own lives.”