Survey Finds Suicidal Thoughts Among Indian Students
Portrait of the Artist — John Vanderlyn, 1800
What Happened
A Supreme Court-appointed task force surveyed more than 2.43 lakh higher education students nationwide. Nearly one in 11 reported frequent suicidal thoughts in the past year, and 15% reported a prolonged period of distress or anxiety in the past six months. The task force has cautioned that the sample is not representative of the entire student population and that findings are preliminary. It plans to submit a final report by October 31, 2026.
Why It Matters
Only 56% of students said they trust their institution to handle serious issues fairly. About 32% said counselling wasn't available to them at all. More than 70% of surveyed institutions had no full-time mental health professional, and fewer than 4% had a formal suicide-risk protocol. The gap isn't just access. It's whether students believe reaching out will actually help.
What's Next
The task force is still analyzing open-ended responses before submitting its final report to the Supreme Court.