The Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the increasing number of student suicides in Maharashtra and called for immediate measures by all relevant authorities and stakeholders.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar emphasized the alarming nature of the situation during a hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding inadequate facilities in colleges to curb suicidal tendencies among students.
The court requested affidavits from the state government, University Grants Commission (UGC), and Mumbai University (MU). “The well-being of every student, including mental well-being, is an integral part of the health in general of every student,” the bench said.
Child rights activist Shobha Panchmukh, in her PIL, sought directives for Mumbai University to appoint two teachers or professors from affiliated institutions as college counselors. These counselors would address and manage students’ mental health and raise awareness about well-being among students.
The court referred to Section 5(36) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, which mandates universities to promote a healthy atmosphere and ensure students’ welfare. “Thus, University, in our opinion, is duty-bound to take measures to create an atmosphere in university and colleges where incidents of suicides do not take place,” the court stated.
The plea also requested that MU publicize the contact details of trained professors and their roles on the college website, notice boards, and admission prospectuses. Additionally, it sought a circular for affiliated colleges to conduct an orientation program at the beginning of the academic session to introduce students to college counselors.
The petitioner, through advocate Shyam Panchmukh, presented various news reports on student suicides for different reasons, highlighting the rising numbers in Maharashtra each year. Referring to information provided in Parliament on December 5, 2023, based on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, the petitioner stated that the numbers have been increasing since 2019, with nearly 1,487 student suicides in Maharashtra in 2019, 1,648 in 2020, and 1,834 in 2021.
The court instructed the petitioner to include the University Grants Commission (UGC) as a party respondent in the PIL to ensure the plea is not confined only to MU. The Mumbai University indicated that it would issue a circular in compliance with the 2016 Act to ensure colleges have nodal officers on campus for student well-being, although no such mechanism currently exists.
The court then requested a response from the respondents within three weeks, followed by a rejoinder from the petitioner within a week, and scheduled further hearings for the following month.
