Nagpur: Student suicide cases in India are increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding both the population growth rate and general suicide trends, according to a new report. The “Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India” report, based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), was released on Wednesday at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024.
States with the maximum student suicide cases:
Wenesday Rate
Wednesday01 Jan. 2025
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh remain as the three highest states. These three states include one-third of the country’s total student suicide count. Uttar Pradesh, with the largest population amongst all states in India, now features among the five states with the highest student suicide rates, perhaps indicating improved reporting processes. Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand counts indicate high year-on-year increases in student suicides; 14 percent and 15 percent respectively.
Rajasthan, with the infamous Kota coaching city, is ranked tenth with 571 student suicides pointing to the high pressure in coaching centres like Kota. Southern states and union territories account for 29% of these cases.
The report highlighted that while overall suicide cases increased by 2% each year, student suicides rose by 4% annually, even though some cases might not be reported. Over the past 20 years, student suicides have grown at a rate of 4% per year, twice the national average. In 2022, male students made up 53% of student suicides. From 2021 to 2022, suicides among male students fell by 6%, while those among female students rose by 7%, according to the IC3 Institute’s report.
The report noted that student suicides are increasing faster than both the population growth rate and overall suicide trends. In the past decade, while the number of people aged 0-24 dropped slightly from 582 million to 581 million, student suicides nearly doubled from 6,654 to 13,044.
The IC3 Institute, a volunteer-driven organization, helps high schools worldwide by offering guidance and training for administrators, teachers, and counsellors to build strong career and college counselling programs.
Underreported cases likely higher due to stigma and legal issues:
The NCRB data comes from police reports, but the real number of student suicides is probably higher than reported. This is because suicides are often underreported due to social stigma and the criminalization of attempted and assisted suicide under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code.
Although the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act decriminalizes suicide attempts for those with mental illness, the effects of past criminalization still affect how suicides are reported. Additionally, data collection is inconsistent, especially in rural areas, leading to significant discrepancies. Ganesh Kohli, Founder of the IC3 Movement, emphasized that the report highlights the urgent need to tackle mental health issues in schools.
The report highlighted a sharp rise in student suicides over the past decade, with male suicides increasing by 50% and female suicides by 61%. Both genders have seen an average annual rise of 5% in the last five years. These troubling figures highlight the urgent need for better counselling resources and a clearer understanding of student needs.
Last year, the IC3 Institute released the first report on student suicides, revealing that over 13,000 students died by suicide annually in India. This alarming trend persists. In response, the IC3 Institute established a task force dedicated to strategic leadership in student mental health.
* In 2022, there were 13,044 reported student suicides compared to 13,089 in 2021, representing an insignificant decrease in year-on-year.
* In comparison, total suicides (students and other people) increased by 4.2 percent, from 164,033 in 2021 to 170,924 in 2022.
* Over the last 10 and 20 years, total suicides increased 2 percent annually on average while student suicides increased 4 percent – i.e. 2X that of total suicides.
* Student suicides are 7.6 percent of the total suicides, similar to that of many other professions such as salaried persons, farmers, unemployed persons, and self-employed persons.
*Gender-wise, male student suicides are higher than female student suicide counts. Male student suicides increased 50 percent while female student suicides increased by 61 percent over the last 10 years. Both male and female students have increased by 5 percent annually on average over the last five years.
