Rising Student Suicides In India: A Growing Crisis

India is grappling with a severe increase in student suicides, with rates soaring faster than both population growth and overall suicide trends. The alarming data was revealed in the report titled “Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India” at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh have the highest student suicide rates, accounting for one-third of the cases nationwide. The report highlights that student suicides have surged by 4% annually over the past two decades, doubling the national average for overall suicides.

Male students, who previously represented 53% of all student suicides, saw a 6% decrease between 2021 and 2022. In contrast, female student suicides rose by 7% during the same period. This trend is occurring despite a slight decline in the youth population from 582 million to 581 million over the past decade. During this time, student suicides nearly doubled from 6,654 to 13,044.

Experts suggest that the post-Covid environment may be a contributing factor. Rajendra Shinde, principal of St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, observed an increase in stress-related issues among students. He noted that during Covid, students lacked social exposure and proper training to handle stress, which might be impacting their mental health.

The report highlights a pressing need for targeted interventions to address this growing crisis among India’s students.