Supreme Court Establishes 15 National Regulations to Combat Rising Student Suicides
Supreme Court of India Issues Nationwide Guidelines to Improve Mental Health in Educational Institutions
The Supreme Court of India has issued a set of 15 binding guidelines aimed at protecting and promoting mental health in educational institutions across the country. These guidelines form a comprehensive framework for mental health protection and preventive measures, intended to curb student suicides and improve overall student well-being.
Key Aspects of the Guidelines
- Uniform Mental Health Policy: All educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and coaching centers, must adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy based on established frameworks such as the UMMEED draft guidelines, the MANODARPAN initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This policy must be reviewed annually and publicly displayed on institutional websites and notice boards.
- Qualified Mental Health Professionals: Institutions with 100 or more students are required to appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health. Smaller institutions must establish formal referral linkages to trained professionals.
- Optimal Student-Counsellor Ratios and Dedicated Mentors: Institutions must ensure appropriate student-to-counsellor ratios and have dedicated mentors available, particularly during examination periods.
- Mandatory Mental Health Training: All teaching and non-teaching staff must undergo biannual training in psychological first aid and distress recognition to better support student mental well-being.
- Prohibition of Harmful Academic Practices: Practices like public shaming, ranking students publicly by performance, and setting unrealistic academic targets are prohibited to reduce harmful academic pressure.
- Safe and Inclusive Environments: Institutions must have robust and confidential mechanisms to report and address bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence based on gender, caste, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Extra attention is mandated for vulnerable groups such as SC, ST, OBC, EWS, LGBTQ+, disabled, and traumatized students.
- Accountability Measures: Failure to provide adequate mental health support or neglecting preventive measures could result in institutional liability and legal consequences.
- Regulation of Coaching Centres: All private coaching centers must follow strict registration, student protection norms, and grievance redressal mechanisms. State and district-level monitoring committees headed by District Magistrates will oversee implementation and inspections.
- Physical Safety Measures: Directives include safety improvements in residential facilities such as tamper-proof fans to prevent impulsive self-harm acts.
The Supreme Court has mandated that the Union of India file a compliance affidavit within 90 days detailing steps taken, coordination with states, regulatory progress, and timelines for the National Task Force report on student mental health. These guidelines remain binding until suitable legislation or regulatory frameworks are enacted by competent authorities.
In summary, the Supreme Court's guidelines establish a multi-pronged, legally binding roadmap for ensuring proactive mental health support, preventive care, safety, inclusivity, and institutional accountability across all educational settings in India.
In the context of establishing a comprehensive framework for mental health protection, learning resources in health-and-wellness and education-and-self-development are integral to improving mental health within educational institutions. Educators should be equipped with knowledge in mental health through mandatory biannual training, as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India, to help create a supportive environment for students' overall well-being and learning experiences.
