Students invest immense efforts in getting admission in major educational institutions. While many are capable of converting their dreams into reality, other people are left behind. There are times when both students who are unable to get admission and those who are included in these institutions take high steps. A victim’s mother once said, “I gave her an IIT dream.” Despite various preventive measures, students ending their lives are a tragic disadvantage.
In 2024, about a dozen suicides from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) were reported; More than 100 cases have already come from decade, 2014 to 2024. In 2025, IIT Indore, IIT Kharagpur, and Indian Management Institute Bangalore and Rajasthan have been reported from six cases of entry into Kota. Which is famous for its coaching institutes. According to data from the 2022 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India had 13,044 suicides, or 7.6% of all suicides. Of these, 2,095 were associated with examination failure.
These tragedies have expressed a lot of concern. In 2023, the President of India, Draupadi Murmu called for a human outlook, “urged all stakeholders to help students defeat negative thinking and take pressure to study in a positive way”. The Supreme Court of India has directed academics to locate innovative out-of-the-box solutions. The Indian Indians Insituts Council has made a proposal for measures, while the University Grants Commission (UGC) has included a representative of the weaker group in the Grievance Redressal Committee to protect its interests effectively.
In January 2025, the Supreme Court, while addressing a public interest litigation (PIL) by the families of the victims, directed the UGC to hit the data on the installation of equal opportunity cells (EOC), received complaints, and from all universities Reported action, according to its 2012 rules. Despite these interventions, the effectiveness of these measures remains doubtful.
Cause Analysis
Educational stress and caste-based discrimination remain the primary cause of these tragedies. But there are many other factors. It is a misconception that this is an issue that only worries about academicly weaker students. There are cases of high recipients including an Olympiad winner, who are harsh measures. Additionally, students face social pressure to “success”, as well as continuous comparison with ‘fear of disappearance’ (FOMO) syndrome and peers. Failure and mental health struggles that young people are often tarnished, while failure is seen as a personal defect. Institutional policies are reactive rather than preventive, leaving students to pursue unrealistic standards with small rooms for recovery or individual development. It forms a cycle of separation, despair and despair.
A Lancet Commission Report (2022) admitted that many of us experience mental ill health in our lifetime, but is necessary to change the status quo to deal with stigma and discrimination. Fantas and discrimination in mental health not only violate basic human rights, but also deepen marginalization and social boycott. To reduce the stigma effectively, policies based on social contact should be preferred, supported to run strong and meaningful changes.
Effectiveness of existing measures
So, are the remedies-product-producers? Current prevention measures such as counseling, dealing with complaints, remedial classes, and low academic loads have their limitations. It mainly stems from the unexpected results of these measures that separate these individuals in their requirement time.
Counseling plays an important role in promoting wellness skills and improving mental health during normal time. However, challenges may arise during critical moments such as depression increases. Using data from the 75th Round National Sample Survey (2017-18), an IIT Jodhpur has shown that self-reporting of mental illness in India is less than 1%, mainly due to social stigma , Leads to separation during such important stages.
There are important flaws by combating caste-based discrimination through a complaint-driven approach. This often does not take any action in time, takes delayed or punitive action, and inspires fear of results. In June 2024, a case of a student from IIT Kharagpur, giving an example of this, where the victim allegedly complained and was later found dead. Later, a medical report showed murder, not suicide. In another example, IIT in Delhi, in 2023, in the case of two students, the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Cell did not see any complaint despite administrative efforts. This indicates that a complaint-based system can discourage victims, only to spoil their pain and separate the complainants.
A similar issue exists with remedial classes and tutorials for academicly weaker students, which are identified based on semester-end results. While these classes can help some students improve their educational performance, there is an underlying defect. Participants are labeled academically as weakened, causing separation from their peers. Although most manage to pass, some can struggle due to stigma and other factors, which can cause tragedy when combined with the underlying mental health trigger.
Thus, prevention measures are built -in built -in flavors. They inadvertently label weak individuals, causing isolation and exclusion.
Need to change the approach
The exclusion approach spoils the struggle of the victims and obstructs integration. A paradigm change is required to ensure immediate and inclusive support in vital moments. The key to prevention lies in keeping students integrated and free from stigma or fear.
There is also a point of initial detection and flexible evaluation. Instead of labeling weaker students in semester-ends, early assignments can help before the crisis before the crisis, such as missed classes and low interactions, such as missed classes and low interactions. A flexible assessment system that is in line with different strengths and interests of students is an effective solution. It should be noted that the same size is not all fit. The offering of assignments of various difficulty levels is an approach that supports weak students, boosts their confidence, and ensures that no one is left behind. The author’s successful implementation of this method in three decades highlights its ability to change the student results.
This approach does not need to reduce educational hardness for all, as doing so has its professionals and opposition. Although it can reduce stress for some, it can also affect global competition levels and reputation of elite institutions.
Second, converting discrimination into inclusion. Active caste-based inclusion strategies are required instead of grievances that risk separation and vengeance instead of grievances. Complaint resolution should be handled online by an independent third party immediately, which only ensures transparent and sympathetic intervention beyond the rules enforcement. Additionally, caste label is no longer needed after entry, so caste-related data should be removed from all public records.
Third, collectively improves mental health. Embrace of community-oriented life on individualism promotes mutual support, shared responsibility and emotional good. Encouraging students for socialization reduces isolation, strengthens social networks, and promotes sympathy. By prioritizing relationships on competition, community living mindfulness, related and nurturing flexibility, which are essential for mental health.
Creating an auxiliary environment in which students thrive without fear of failure, it is important for prevention of suicide. No solution is all fit, but promoting inclusion and social connections can help help. Preventing isolation ensures that no student feels, reduces stigma and fear. What exactly matters real care, integration and collective action is for the creation of a compassionate educational system.
Rajiv Kumar Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and a former computer science professor. Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Scientist of Science and Technology (DST) with more than 40 years of experience in educationists and more than 40 years in research and development
Published – 17 February, 2025 04:00 pm IST