NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the cause behind increasing cases of student deaths in IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University. The Court had on July 21 taken suo motu cognizance (SMC) of student suicides and initiated proceedings.
The apex court's two-judge bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan asked the institutes, as to whether it has given a thought to the issue. The counsel appearing for the IIT Kharagpur replied to the top court that a 10-member committee has been constituted to deal with the issue. He further elaborated that there was a counselling centre to help identify students facing mental health problems. "They have given a phone number which can be called anytime," he stated.
The top court had earlier sought responses in the case as it had appointed senior advocate Aparna Bhatt as amicus curiae (Friend of the court) and asked her to provide detailed information in the matter.
During the hearing on Monday, the lawyer for IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University informed the Supreme Court that first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged in connection with both the incidents.
After being informed of these facts, the court said it will not make any further observations and clarified that the probe can continue in the case.
The SC said they were informed that an FIR was lodged by the father of the deceased in connection with the Sharda University case and the investigation is in progress let it proceed in accordance with law.
Highlighting the other case that occured at IIT Kharagpur, the court said that it received information that the management filed a complaint within 30 minutes of learning of the suicide. "The investigation in this regard is also in progress. Let the investigation continue in the right direction," said the Bench in its order, fixed the matter for hearing after four weeks.
When a lawyer told the judges that a student died by suicide at IIT Delhi on June 4 but an FIR has not yet been registered so far, the court directed the amicus will take up the issue and act accordingly.
Acting on the directions of the top court, Bhatt said, in the Sharda University student suicide case, the body of the girl was shifted by university staff even before police came. As per police officials, since multiple people left fingerprints, crime scene got compromised.
Similarly, in the IIT Kharagpur case, she was informed by university's Registrar that though a post mortem was conducted but details weren't known yet.
The case pertains to Ritam Mandal, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student of IIT Kharagpur, allegedly died by suicide on July 18. She was a resident of Kolkata and was studying in a five-year dual degree program. This is the fourth such case in the IIT Kharagpur campus since January this year.
Jyoti Sharma, a second-year BDS student, allegedly committed suicide in the hostel of Sharda University located in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida.
In a significant judgement recently on July 25, the Supreme Court had issued 15 pan-India guidelines to combat the problems of rise in suicides, safety and mental health issues among students in educational institutions.
The top court's verdict came following an appeal against an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, rejecting the plea to transfer to CBI the investigation of the death of a 17-year-old National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test aspirant preparing in Vishakhapatnam.
The guidelines prescribed by the top court were: All educational institutions shall adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing cues from the UMMEED Draft Guidelines, the MANODARPAN initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
"All the educational institutions shall establish written protocols for immediate referral to mental health services, local hospitals, and suicide prevention helplines. Suicide helpline numbers, including Tele-MANAS and other national services, shall be prominently displayed in hostels, classrooms, common areas, and on websites in large and legible print," the Court said.
The apex court said that all residential-based institutions shall install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety devices, and shall restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas, in order to deter impulsive acts of self-harm.
"All coaching hubs, including but not limited to Jaipur, Kota, Sikar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities where students migrate in large numbers for competitive examination preparation, shall implement heightened mental health protections and preventive measures. These regions, having witnessed disproportionately high incidents of student suicides, require special attention. The concerned authorities, namely, the Department of Education, District Administration, and management educational institutions, shall ensure the provision of regular career counselling for students and parents," the Court said.