The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on student mental health and suicide prevention has visited 30 higher education institutions (HEIs) across 10 states in the country since May 2025 to engage more deeply with regional and institutional contexts, officials said.

The task force also conducted 25 stakeholder consultations to ensure an interdisciplinary and equity-oriented approach.

“The team has conducted field visits to 30 HEIs across 10 states since May 2025 to enable a deeper engagement with regional and institutional contexts. The task force also conducted 25 stakeholder consultations to ensure an interdisciplinary and equity-oriented approach,” a senior education ministry official said.

The consultations covered themes including students and faculty with disabilities, caste discrimination in higher education, gender and mental health, student suicides, issues affecting students from ST and OBC communities, decriminalisation of suicide, the gender question in student suicides, and consultations with mental health NGOs and law students.

The NTF was constituted by the Supreme Court to address the rising incidence of student suicides and examine mental health and well-being concerns among students in HEIs across the country.

It has been tasked with identifying the predominant causes leading to student suicides, analysing relevant laws, policies and institutional frameworks.

The panel is also mandated to suggest reforms to the existing legal and institutional frameworks to ensure stronger enforcement, accountability and preventive measures, including recommendations to address existing gaps, create a more inclusive and supportive academic environment, and ensure equal opportunities for members of marginalised communities, among other mandates of the task force.

(Input from PTI)

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