A recent report titled “Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India,” unveiled at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024, has brought to light a troubling surge in student suicides across the country. The study, drawing from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, indicates that student suicides have escalated at an alarming rate of 4% annually over the past two decades—double the national average for overall suicides.
The year 2021 saw a particularly concerning rise, with 13,089 student suicides recorded, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year. This spike in student suicides has even outpaced the number of farmer suicides, a stark indicator of the growing crisis among the youth. Male students made up 57% of these tragic incidents, as per the report.
Maharashtra reported the highest number of student suicides at 1,834, followed by Madhya Pradesh (1,308), Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855), and Odisha (834). Notably, Uttar Pradesh, despite being the most populous state, accounted for only 5.3% of the nationwide total of student suicides, highlighting a significant disparity.
The report underscores the urgent need for improved data collection and reporting, especially concerning transgender students, whose struggles remain underrepresented in the current data. The findings point to a growing epidemic that requires immediate attention and action.
