Several steps are being taken to curb deaths by suicide of students: Union Minister of State for Education
Responding to a questions about deaths by suicide in Kota, a hub of coaching centres, Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the Ministry had launched the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative to support students, and the Rajasthan government too, had appointed counsellors and gate-keepers for mental health help
Several initiatives have been taken by the government, including the launch of a mental health helpline, Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar said
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
The government has taken several steps to curb deaths by suicide among students, Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar said on Monday, July 29, 2024, in the Parliament, and added that 1.2 per cent of suicides were related to examination failures.
Asked about student deaths by suicides in Kota, a hub of coaching centres in Rajasthan for competitive examinations, the Minister said a number of steps had been taken by the Central and the State governments.
"Several initiatives have been taken by our government to curb incidents of suicide among students. According to NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) and [the] Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India [report], only 1.2 per cent of total suicide cases are related to failure in examinations," Mr. Majumdar told the House.
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Speaker Om Birla, the Kota MP, was not in the chair when the question was taken up. The proceedings were being managed by Jagadambika Pal.
Mr. Majumdar also said the Union Education Ministry had started the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative (which includes a national toll-free helpline and a website) for providing psychological support to students. He said the Rajasthan government had also taken several steps to ensure mental health support for the students.
"The Rajasthan government issued a guideline in 2022 and again in 2023, which is enforced by the district administration. They have appointed 90 psychological counsellors … There is also a toll free helpline," he said. Additionally, he said, 10,000 hostel gatekeepers had been trained to identify signs of whether a student required mental health-related help.
A cry for help, a call for reflection and action
Under another initiative — dinner with DM — students are invited to meet district administration officials, the Minister said.
Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 104 or any of the numbers given here:
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