According to a new report, incidents of student suicide are rising at an alarming annual rate, exceeding the population growth rate and overall suicide trends.
Based on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the Student Suicides: An epidemic sweeping India report was launched on Wednesday at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024.
The report pointed out that while the overall suicide numbers increased by 2 per cent annually, student suicides cases surged by 4 per cent, despite a likely “under-reporting” of student suicide cases.
According to the report, there were 13,044 recorded student suicides in India in 2022 — a slight decline from 13,089 in 2021. Despite this decline, the overall suicide rate — which includes both students and the general population — has increased from 164,033 in 2021 to 170,924 in 2022.
“Over the past two decades, student suicides have grown at an alarming annual rate of four per cent.”
“The incidence of student suicides continues to surpass both population growth rates and overall suicide trends. Over the last decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044,” it added.
This rise is particularly concerning as the rate of student suicides has been growing at twice the pace of the overall suicide rate over the past 20 years.
Student suicides account for 7.6 per cent of all suicides, a rate comparable to many other professions including paid workers, farmers, jobless people, and self-employed people.
The IC3 Institute is a volunteer-based organisation that provides support to high schools around the world through guidance and training resources for their administrators, teachers and counsellors to help establish and maintain robust career and college counselling departments.
States with the highest suicides
In 2022, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh were reported as the states with the highest number of student suicides in India. According to the report:
- Maharashtra recorded 1,764 suicides, accounting for 14% of the national total.
- Tamil Nadu reported 1,416 suicides, representing 11% of the total.
- Madhya Pradesh had 1,340 suicides, making up 10% of the overall count.
Together, these three states accounted for nearly one-third of all student suicides in the country that year.
Uttar Pradesh with eight per cent of suicide rates and Jharkhand with six per cent followed next.
Southern states and Union Territories collectively contribute 29 per cent of these cases, while Rajasthan, known for its high-stakes academic environment, ranks 10th, highlighting the intense pressure associated with coaching hubs like Kota, as per PTI.
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Source: Firstpost
