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Farmers to students: Is India losing the battle to suicide?

Student suicides have not just exceeded farmer suicides but have consistently outpaced both population growth and overall suicide trends, says an NCRB report. While the figures are deeply concerning, what is being done about it?

News Arena Network - Chandigarh - UPDATED: September 14, 2024, 08:52 PM - 2 min read

Farmers to students: Is India losing the battle to suicide?

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Last month, the NCRB spotlighted a silent epidemic sweeping India, threatening not just the very foundation but also its future. Student suicides have increased at an alarming rate, surpassing even the population growth rate.

The report, titled Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India by the National Crime Records Bureau, underscored several unfortunate facts concerning student suicides over the past two decades. While the issue has been a subject of social research for a long time, the report highlights how deep the problem runs.

The alarming numbers

While overall suicide rates in India increased by 2% annually, the rate of student suicides surged by 4%. In absolute numbers, student suicides have even exceeded farmer suicides at times.

The rate has also consistently outpaced both population growth and overall suicide trends. The report draws on data compiled by the NCRB and is based on police-recorded FIRs.

What’s worse? It also suggests that the figures may be underreported, indicating the actual numbers could be far higher.

“Over the past decade, while the population of individuals aged 0-24 reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides rose from 6,654 to 13,044,” said the report.

It further revealed that the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh have the highest rates of student suicides, representing one-third of the total incidents nationwide. Rajasthan, infamous for Kota coaching centres and student suicides, is ranked tenth with 571 student suicides.

The rot and reasons for suicide run deep

As per a report published in The Lancet titled Exam Failure Suicides and Policy Initiatives in India, India reported 1,70,924 suicides in 2022, of which 7.6% were by students, and 2,248 suicide deaths were attributed to exam failure.

In almost all of Southeast Asia, particularly in India, the worth of a student is deeply tied to academic excellence and grades. Exam failure often equates to a child being written off by parents and scorned socially. This combination of over-anxious students and over-ambitious parents never bodes well for the mental health of a child. Worsening the situation is the impossible academic pressure.

Given the clear correlation between mental health and suicidal tendencies, a few other in-depth studies on the mental health of young adults in the nation point out an equally dismal situation.

As per the survey findings of UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2021, around 14% of 15 to 24-year-olds in India (roughly one in seven) reported feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things.

Ironically, only 41% of young people in the same age group in India said that it is good to seek support for mental health problems, compared to a global average of 83% across 21 countries.

The system and society need to step in

Any solution to the issue, whether long-term or otherwise, must target the single biggest factor behind suicides: the mental health of students.

Experts have repeatedly stressed that open communication, dismantling taboos, evaluating school and home environments, and self-awareness among youngsters are small but significant starting points.

The near-impossible competition to get into colleges, the shame associated with failure, and the media hype around toppers push many students to the brink of complete mental breakdowns.

Deaths due to exam failures account for numbers too large to be ignored or left unaddressed. News of student suicides invariably follows the announcement of results for any entrance or competitive examinations.

This year alone, a total of 11 students—seven from Telangana and four from Madhya Pradesh—took their own lives after receiving poor marks in intermediate and Class 10 board exams.

What worked in the past?

The Tamil Nadu government was the first to take a humane approach toward exam failures and introduce the system of supplementary exams.

In 2004, local NGOs, media, and mental healthcare professionals urged the government to implement supplementary examinations for Class X and Class XII boards.

The move had a direct and immediate impact, as the number of student suicides dropped significantly. From 407 exam failure suicides in 2004, the numbers decreased to 215 in 2019.

The issue has long been highlighted in films like Three Idiots, which received both critical acclaim and commercial success. All India Rank, another Hindi film depicting the trauma and struggles of a 17-year-old sent to India’s coaching capital Kota, garnered rave reviews.

The NCRB report, presented at the annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024, serves as yet another reminder of the grave situation.

Ganesh Kohli, founder of the IC3 movement, said, “This is a reminder of the urgent need to address mental health challenges within our learning institutions.”

While there are no easy answers or overnight solutions to curb the suicides, enough is known to act immediately and effectively.

As India faces a growing mental health crisis, access to suicide prevention resources remains crucial. Here are some key government-supported helplines available for those in need: