As the nation mourns the death of an IIT Madras research scholar, Sachin Kumar Jain, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released the 2022 statistics for accidental deaths and suicides in the country.
The report shows over 13,000 student suicides in the country spread across geographies, gender and age-groups. Out of the total number of suicides, 1.2% committed suicide due to 'failure in examination'.
Out of the 13,044 student who died due to suicide, 6,113 were female. The statistics take into account geographic location, profession, marital status, gender, age group, income level, educational level, economic status and causes. Interestingly, the study leaves out caste.
"I am sad but not surprised," a master's student from the National Law University, Bangalore said. She talks about how low she has been feeling due to her overwhelming coursework, a result of a 'mis-match' of curriculum. She said that her college provides a mental-health service called Amaha - without providing a structural framework to address this discrepancy the students constantly keep feeling. “They give us a wellness app instead of a solution to our mental health issues,” she said.
Countless students have been feeling disheartened due to the treatment of mental health in the Indian Education System.
Pankhuri Joshi, a master’s student in the National Institute of Delhi says, ”It is highly concerning to see the disregard that institutions have for our life.” She adds that instead of taking active steps towards making our education system less isolating, educational institutions grow desensitised to the struggles of students.
Dr. Imran Noorani, a psychologist, told the FPJ that students over the country have been feeling increasing parental pressures and alienation. The lack of parental support combined with the isolation a student feels due to being pushed in a path followed by the herd, leads to stress and anxiety resulting in depression and suicidal ideation, Dr. Noorani said.
Parents have started taking mental health seriously, trying to understand their kids and support them through crises.
Kinjal Pandya, mother of a student at St. Louis School, Dahisar, admitted that the statistic was concerning. “I would want to make sure that my child is not fighting anything mentally or physically alone and has a supportive and understanding environment as should any other parent,” she said, adding that such statistics would help other parents understand their responsibilities.
Another parent, Vishakha Tiwari, said, “It's crucial for us to maintain open lines of communication with our kids, ensuring that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.” She believes that as a community, we should advocate for improved mental health services in schools.
But students keep coming back to the structural problems that the system refuses to acknowledge.
Sudeshna Roy Chaudhari, a master’s student from Christ University says, “the Indian Education System has a record of putting a lot of academic pressure on students, not having enough resources for students who are from a marginalised background, we don't have the social, economic or emotional capital to care for students who have mental health issues.” She hopes that the new National Education Policy will help mitigate student struggles by its flexible structure.
