Page 18 - EW August 2025

Education News

DELHI resilience, and wellbeing under the
Apex court intervention Malaviya Mission Teacher Training

Programme. It comprises online and
in-person sessions, visits to institu-
tions with innovative mental health
practices, and an Annual National
Wellbeing Conclave. The goal is to
empower faculty to address student
mental health concerns for early
intervention.”
However, according to Prof. Raj
Kachroo, former professor of water
& environmental engineering at the
National University of Ireland and
founder of Amanmovement.Org,
whose sustained efforts to eradicate
ragging in higher ed institutions
following the tragic death of his son
Aman who was bullied at Dr. Rajen-
dra Prasad Medical College, Tanda
(Himachal Pradesh) in 2009, nor-
IIT-Kharagpur main block: student suicides rash. Inset: Prof. Raj Kachroo malisation of institutional and peer
harassment is clouding the narrative
he rising number of student student well-being. Invoking Article around student distress.
suicides in the country’s 141 of the Constitution which af- “For every suicide, there are
Tshowpiece higher education firms the right of the apex court to thousands below threshold who suf-
institutions (HEIs) has prompted prescribe new laws, the Supreme fer in silence, but we fail to see it as
intervention by the Supreme Court Court listed 15 binding guidelines a symptom of a larger problem that
of India. for education institutions country- our students are confronted with.
On March 24, while adjudicating wide: “These guidelines shall be read Most people view ragging as a kind
the case of Amit Kumar & Ors. Vs as complementary to the ongoing of human violation while not paying
Union of India & Ors, a two-judge work of the National Task Force and attention to the fact that constant
bench of the apex court ordered would inform and assist the National harassment and humiliation also
constitution of a National Task Force Task Force in the development of a kills the creativity and ingenuity of
(NTF) to discuss and deliberate more comprehensive and inclusive young minds. The plain truth is that
issues related to mental health of framework,” said the judges. student suicides are the second high-
children and youth, and particularly The Supreme Court’s activism est after housewives, who are forced
ways and means to prevent sui- on this issue is warranted. Between by patriarchy and gender discrimina-
cides in education institutions. The 2019 and 2023, 98 student suicides tion to end their lives,” says Kachroo,
10-member NTF headed by former were reported in Central government whose sustained anti-ragging cam-
Supreme Court judge, Justice S. HEIs with 11 reported in showcase paign has reduced ragging deaths
Ravindra Bhat has been directed IITs (Indian Institutes of Technol- from an estimated 40 percent in
to propose necessary reforms to ex- ogy) in 2023-23 and 122 in medical 2009 to less than 5 percent in 2020.
isting legal and institutional frame- colleges. In the past one year, four However after 2022, the Aman-
works to ensure stronger enforce- student suicides have been reported movement.Org was stripped of its
ment of extant laws, institutional in IIT-Kharagpur. role by a “corrupt bureaucracy”
accountability and prevention of Meanwhile the rising incidence of which diluted the statutory norms set
student suicides. student suicides provoked a discus- by the Supreme Court and inserted
Visiting this issue again on July sion in Parliament. Commenting on a tendering process for running stu-
25, while hearing Sukdeb Saha Vs. the issue on July 30, Dr. Sukanta dents’ helplines and allied services.
State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors, a Majumdar, Union minister of “This has resurrected the ragging
two-judge bench issued binding state for education said: “Depart- menace in HEIs,” says Kachroo, who
guidelines for all education institu- ment of Higher Education has has filed a petition in the Delhi high
tions to adopt and implement a initiated an integrated approach for court praying for an injunction to
uniform mental health policy for promoting positive mental health, restore the anti-ragging mechanism

18 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2025