Alarming Data of Student Suicide in Central Higher Education Institutes; Government Remains Mute Spectator

The Central Executive Committee of SFI issued the following statement

The suicide toll in central higher education institutes crossed hundred and the union government remains mute spectator. SFI expresses serious concern over this shocking revelation of the number of suicides happened in the most esteemed central higher education institutes of India.

The data provided by the Ministry of Education in Rajya Sabha, in reply to Dr. V Sivadasan M.P, former All India President of SFI, shows that around 98 students have committed suicide in various institutions under the education ministry from 2018 to 2023. While 39 students suicided in IITs alone, 25 students suicided in NITs, 23 students suicided in Central Universities, and 9 students have committed suicide in institutes like IIITs, IIMs & IISERs, since 2018 as per the union education ministry. Apart from this, 13 students have also committed suicide in various AIIMs since 2020. Also, student suicides happened in various other institutions like the SPAs as well.

While in the government statistics, fewer students have committed suicide in the covid years, the number have again steeply increased in 2022 to 24. In 2023, it is again reaching to the worst scenario by losing the lives of 20 students while it is only halfway down the year. With this, the situation is such that it is expected to get further worse as we can see the suicide of Ms Phunsuk Dolma in Rajasthan Central University as a latest in the list, suicided on 26th of July 2023.

The government states career problems, isolation, mental abuse, violence, family problems and mental illness as the driving forces of suicides. They also claims the Health Ministry’s National Suicide Prevention Policy and Manodarpan program as initiatives to deal with the issue but the figures prove that those have become utter failure in the purpose. We urge the union government to implement effective and responsible initiatives to tackle the problem.

As we know, the pressures created by the economic and social factors play a major role in pushing the students to suicides. Also we may see that the exploitation and uncertainty in this competitive capitalist society affects the poor youth who try to make a living through education. SFI demands the union government to provide enough support in the form of financial assistance and improved academic atmosphere in campuses for students to withstand such pressures.