Survey finds 9% of higher-education students reported suicidal thoughts
A nationwide survey by a Supreme Court-appointed task force found that 9% of respondents reported experiencing suicidal thoughts often or very often in the previous year. Fifteen per cent reported a recent period of severe distress. Officials cautioned that the sample was not representative and described the findings as preliminary.
Nine per cent of students surveyed by the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force reported experiencing suicidal thoughts often or very often during the previous year, according to findings accessed by PTI. The survey covered more than 2.43 lakh students in higher education institutions. About 15% said they had experienced a period during the previous six months when they felt severely overwhelmed or distressed, or had sustained low mood or anxiety.
The task force said the findings were preliminary because the sample was not representative. A senior official told PTI that responses, including open-text answers, were still being analysed. Around 34% of respondents said they had felt like an outsider on campus to varying degrees.
About 56% expressed trust in their institution’s administration to handle serious issues fairly, while approximately 32% said their institution did not offer counselling services. The survey found that academic choices and worries about employment were common concerns. Students also reported strict attendance rules, demanding schedules, clinical overload, intense competition, inadequate academic support and problems involving supervisors.
The task force’s interim findings had also referred to social discrimination, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, caste-based humiliation and unequal academic support. The official said the emerging patterns pointed to the need for standardised support systems, faculty training, stigma reduction, crisis procedures, monitoring and more responsive administration. The final report is expected to be submitted by October 31, 2026.
The task force was constituted by the Supreme Court in March last year to examine student mental health and prevent suicides in higher educational institutions.
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