National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) collects data on suicides from police  recorded suicide cases. Comprehensive analysis of the data related to the accidental deaths and  suicides in the country is published in the yearly Accidental Death & Suicide in India (ADSI)  reports by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). Year wise , State wise, Gender and Age  group wise details of student suicides are available in the ADSI reports which are accessible at  https://ncrb.gov.in/accidental-deaths-suicides-in-india-year-wise.html . 

As per these Reports, there are various causes of suicides like professional/career problems,  sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol,  financial loss, chronic pain etc. 

To address the issue of suicide, the Government is taking multi-pronged measures and provides  psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being  to avoid incidences of suicide. 

An initiative of Ministry of Education, MANODARPAN, covers a wide range of activities to  provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well being such as National toll-free helpline to provide guidance to callers through trained counsellor; live interactive sessions ‘Sahyog’ and Webinars ‘Paricharcha’ that are organized  regularly to create awareness about the importance of mental health among all stakeholders,

including students in all States/UTs etc. These sessions are telecast on PM e-Vidya channels  and are also available on ‘NCERT Official’ YouTube Channel. 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has mandated the appointment of  Counsellor & Wellness Teacher in every Secondary and Senior Secondary school affiliated  with it in its Affiliation bye laws. In Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), there is a provision  for engagement of two counsellors (one male and one female) in each Jawahar Navodaya  Vidyalaya (JNV) on contractual basis and total 830 counsellors have been engaged on  contractual basis in JNVs across the country as of February, 2026. Further, directions have been  issued to all KVs to appoint counsellors in all schools on contract basis for the time being. 

UGC has issued advisory to HEIs in January, 2023 circulating the National Suicide Prevention  Strategy framed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. UGC also issued Guidelines on  13.04.2023, which provide for promoting physical fitness and sports activities for students;  creating safeguards against academic pressure, peer pressure, behavioral issues, stress, career  concerns, depression and other issues on the mental health of students; to teach positive thinking  & emotions in the student community; and to promote a positive and supportive network for  students. 

UGC has launched an extensive anti-ragging outreach initiative across all of its official social  media channels, including X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and  YouTube. These campaigns feature short videos, banners, and other creatives disseminated in  21 languages to ensure wide accessibility and engagement. 

Further, UGC has taken action as per the UGC Regulations on curbing the menace of ragging  in higher educational institutions, 2009. Anti-ragging measures viz. establishment of 24x7  National anti-ragging helpline, anti-ragging workshops and seminars, mandatory inclusion of  severe consequences of ragging in prospectus of institutions, mandatory online undertaking by  students and parents every academic year, display of anti-ragging posters at prominent places  in the institutions etc. have been taken to ensure compliance of the regulation. 

The Ministry of Education in July, 2023 has circulated a framework guideline on emotional and  mental well-being of students in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) with request to take  proactive measures to incorporate the same in the institutional functioning and instil a feeling  of confidence in the student community. The guidelines emphasised counselling services, early  distress identification, suicide prevention SOPs, student support networks, strengthened  grievance redressal mechanisms, and periodic institutional review to ensure sustained  effectiveness. 

Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres (January 2024) has been issued by the Ministry  of Education, which mandates student-support and protection measures such as counselling  facilities, transparent fee structures, prohibition of batch segregation, and safeguards against  practices that intensify academic pressure - extending mental-wellbeing protections beyond  campuses. 

An Integrated approach for Promoting Positive Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing has  been conceptualized under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme. Under this  integrated approach, two fortnightly sessions are being held with faculty of higher education

institutions to empower them to address student mental health concerns for early intervention.  Annual National Wellbeing Conclaves were organised at IIT Hyderabad in November, 2024  and at IIT Bombay in November, 2025. A Regional Workshop on Mental Health was organized  on 12-13 July 2026 at IIT Madras, which brought together institutional leaders, faculty,  students, and mental health professionals to share best practices and strengthen campus  wellbeing ecosystems. 

At the institutional level, several HEIs are operationalising the framework through proactive,  multi-layered models. For instance, IIT Kharagpur has implemented a comprehensive SETU  (Support, Empathy, Transformation & Upliftment) framework, moving from reactive care to  preventive, round-the-clock support. Adhering to the Ministry’s guidelines, IIT Madras, IIT  Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee have conducted workshops on Mental  Wellness & Stress Management. 

All IITs, IIMs, NITs and IIITs have put in place dedicated mental health or counselling centres  within their campuses, staffed with full-time or visiting professional counsellors, clinical  psychologists, and in some cases, psychiatrists. A large number of institutes often host mental  health training sessions to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and educate students about mental  health issues. These sessions cover topics such as stress management, coping strategies, and  recognizing the signs of mental health issues. Some Institutes offers on/off-campus counselling  services, where students can meet with mental health professionals. 

To address the issue of mental health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is  implementing National Mental Health Programme in the country, which include outpatient  services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to  persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance services etc at  Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels. In addition, the  Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary healthcare  level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.81 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and  Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have  been added in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at  these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. 

A National Tele Mental Health Programme has been launched in 2022, to improve access to  quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on 06.08.2026, 36 States/  UTs have set up 53 Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (MANAS)  Cells. More than 4325000 calls have been handled on the helpline number. The Government  has also launched Tele MANAS Mobile Application, which is a comprehensive mobile  platform that has been developed to provide support for mental health issues ranging from  wellbeing to mental disorders. In addition, a video consultation facility has been introduced  under Tele-MANAS, as an upgrade to the existing audio calling service.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Education, DR. Sukanta Majumdar, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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