Alarming Rise In Suicide Among College Students Call For Immediate Measures: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court (HC) on July 30 remarked that the rise in suicide among college students is "alarming" and that everyone involved has to take prompt action. The court further stated that each student's overall wellbeing, including their mental health, is a fundamental component.

The court made these statements while considering a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by 57-year-old child rights campaigner Shobha Panchmukh, who brought attention to the rise in student suicides. The petition asks Mumbai University (MU) to issue a directive requiring all connected or associated colleges to have counsellors on staff to address and manage students' mental health.

The plea raised concerns regarding the insufferable measures that have been put in place to control suicidal tendencies among college students.

The petitioner's attorney cited data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showing that 1487, 1648, and 1834 students committed suicide in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. This indicates a growing pattern. A bench made up of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar stated that well-being of every student, including mental wellbeing, is Integral part of every student in general.

The court pointed out that the Maharashtra Universities Act's Section 5(36) requires universities to set up plans for fostering a healthy environment and guaranteeing the welfare of students in colleges, universities, and other institutions. The bench said that it believes that the University has a duty to take action to establish an environment at colleges and other institutions where suicide incidents do not occur.

State attorney Jyoti Chavan told the court that the plea was not being considered adversarial, but she recommended that the Centre be included as a respondent because it has a dedicated budget for suicide prevention.

Since many colleges are now gaining autonomy, Chavan made the point that the University Grants Commission (UGC) needs to be included as a respondent as well. Chavan said that it is a larger issue and not just about the universities.

The petitioner was then asked by the bench to include UGC as a respondent in the PIL.

The Maharashtra government, University of Mumbai, and Higher and Technical Education Department have been instructed by the high court to submit their affidavits in answer to the plea within a span of three weeks.