BJP MP Sushil Modi expresses concern over increasing suicide cases among students

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday expressed concern over increasing cases of suicides among students.
In a special mention about the issue, he told the Rajya Sabha that there have been 10,732 suicide cases of students below the age of 18 years in 2021 only, showing a growth of 4.5 per cent from 2020.
“In 2021, there have been 10, 732 suicide cases of students below the age of 18 years. It depicted an increase of 4.5 per cent from the previous year. In the last five years, 75 students have committed suicide at IIT, IIM, AIIMS, and other top premier institutions. These cases have been increasing at a concerning rate,” Sushil Modi told the Upper House.
He further said that the high number of suicides reflects the severe mental and physical stress the students go through to secure college admissions in the premier universities.
"In Kota this year, police have reported more than 15 suicides. The high number of suicides reflects the severe mental and physical stress the students go through to secure college admissions in premier universities. The students face severe academic stress and develop mental health issues because of the intensive competition in the medical and engineering examinations," he added
BJP Upper House MP Sushil Modi further said that factors like low self-esteem due to poor scores in examinations at the coaching centres, pressures of parental expectations, financial constraints, and the stigma around poor performance contribute to the students constantly deteriorating mental health.
"The consequences of relentless academic pressure are extremely concerning. Thus I request the government to develop a comprehensive suicide prevention mechanism and implement the same in mission mode to harness the results at the earliest," he said.
He further requested the Central government to take a proactive initiative to enhance mental health support within coaching institutes, schools, and universities.
“The number of councillors available should be increased, and a mechanism should be developed to communicate openly between the students and the councillors. There should be awareness campaigns targeting teachers, parents, and students,” he said.
Sushil Modi further said that increased awareness among the public will help in the early identification and treatment of suicidal tendencies.
“So, I urge the government to look into the matter,” he added.