The frequent suicide incidents on the campuses of higher education institutions (HEIs) of the country are not only scary but also point to something wrong either in the upbringing of children in homes and/or the educational ecosystem in HEIs. Every life is equally precious, and the loss of life is an irreparable loss to the family and nation alike from the perspective of economy, prosperity, educational attainment, and productivity. However, in a few instances, these unfortunate incidents come to centre stage mostly due to the global standing of the respective HEIs where it occurs. A prima facie observation points to the helplessness dominating the mental state of the concerned students, which leads them to end their lives.Student suicide is a serious social, mental health, and educational concern owing to complex psychological distress emanating from family expectations, individuals’ aspirations, inability to cope academically, failure to withstand social issues, etc. The interlinkages among core issues nucleate a perception of individuals failing to overcome the gaps, which are eventually impacting academic success and employment prospects adversely. Studies indicate that suicide is the culmination of an interplay of mental health issues comprising depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like experiences in some instances.Delving deep into the likely factors is inevitable in light of the September 2025 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) stating the suicide rate in India to be 12.3 per 100,000 population for the year 2023. This has slightly dropped, as it was constantly increasing from 10.2 per 100,000 population in 2018 until 2022, when it was reported to be 12.4 per 100,000 population. Undoubtedly, after the occurrence of every unfortunate incident, the HEIs attempt to reason it out and go for certain systemic reforms for extending timely support to vulnerable students. But recurrences could not be stopped, and it is inevitable to know the context in which these deaths occur to prevent them.
Acclimatization and fear of failure
Students enter HEIs after secondary level of education. Sometimes, students have to be away from home for the first time, and the ineptitude of a few to quickly adapt to a new institution and colleagues puts them in isolation. Also, there could be an absence of requisite handholding by the academics, and the events of bullying, ragging, discrimination, and poor peer relationships lead to disturbance of mental health.Irrespective of the class in which a student is, the fear of not being able to get desired success in their academic pursuits inculcates severe distress. And, the students start visualizing an incapacity to accomplish their aspirations in future. Quite often, the students stretch themselves up to their capacity for faring well in the high-stakes examinations but are unable to bear with the failure if it is there. However, the situation varies depending upon the level of education. Typically, in the case of HEIs, some students do not remain focused and disciplined towards routine studies but look for good success in examinations, which does not happen in all circumstances. The illusory world of ubiquitous digital learning content with ease of access and growing tendency to use artificial intelligence (AI) in problem-solving ushers students into a less mental effort zone, which constrains the development of their cognitive abilities. So, despite students possessing higher academic ranks at the inception of their higher education, they become vulnerable to end up in a state of severe mental distress due to their misplaced priorities and preferences. At times, the academic systems also fail in dissuading students from prioritizing online learning as the sole learning mode over the physical classroom learning mode. Quite likely, the fast percolation of generative AI and unregulated usage is bound to enhance dependency of students on such tools, and the overreliance could restrict the development of intellectual & professional abilities and cognitive skills. The learning shortfalls result in fear of failure during examinations and cannot be sustained by a few who feel helpless and get into poor mental health.
Family expectations and individual aspirations
In addition to the individual’s wish, the students are under psychological pressure to meet family aspirations, comparison with siblings/colleagues, etc. In case of not being able to get outcomes commensurate with the family expectations and the individual’s aspirations, the student gets disappointed, which becomes risky for a few. Society also aggravates the situation by passing remarks on those who are unable to reach their goals on the first go, instead of providing a congenial ecosystem for better performance and consoling/counselling them to try differently in future.
Unemployment and Financial insecurity
The socio-economic conditions of the Indian society urge children to treat education as a pathway for a better quality of life and realizing their dreams. The absence of a matching number of employment opportunities as compared to the number of aspirants calls for youngsters to try their entrepreneurial stint or remain unemployed. Besides, the high cost of higher education and the cost of coaching may incur family debt. In case of not getting a decently paid job and uncertain career prospects, there are chances of emotional distress due to the pressure to secure a well-paid job. Ultimately, in case of either failing in entrepreneurial initiatives or being unable to get employed, the students land up in financial insecurity and start feeling low.
Mental health issues
Ignorance of depression and anxiety in individuals contributes to mental health issues. The HEIs should closely observe the behavioural changes in their students, who are often averse to counselling and attempt to conceal and procrastinate the challenges faced by them. The faculty mentors are often assigned in HEIs, but the mechanism should not be merely ritualistic and obligatory. Alongside, the teacher-student interaction ought to be enriched for timely interventions in case of mental health challenges emanating from academic failures, family issues, isolation, unemployment, abuse of any kind, violence, digital toxicity, financial problems, etc.
Way forward
Though a lot of corrective measures have been taken time and again, such a tendency among grown-up students in HEIs, despite having reasonable exposure to life and understanding of the situation around, necessitates systemic interventions and the pivotal role of teachers. Firstly, closer teacher-student engagement can always motivate students for learning over securing marks, make classroom interactions worthwhile to avoid excessive dependence on digital sources of knowledge, provide sufficient emotional support to preclude despondency, and counsel them in respect to the multiple dimensions of success and realities of life. Secondly, the systemic ameliorations can be considered by the HEIs for ensuring sensitivity, transparency and accountability in all processes, meaningful student participation in academic decision-making, timely resolving student grievances, freeing the procedures from likely biases, and transforming the ecosystem for translating every educational accomplishment into worthy employment / entrepreneurial opportunities leading to financial independence at the earliest.The purpose of education should be reiterated to help students seek knowledge, build competence and resilience with ethics and cope with setbacks. Every individual must be trained to interpret failures to open newer vistas and blessings in disguise for the concerned individual to either try with much more rigour or look for available alternatives and not as the failure of any student.Also, the overall capability assessment of student(s) should be ascertained fairly before venturing them into any educational journey, for which HEIs have to devise suitable mechanisms to get the right ones pursuing the right kind of education. It should be rooted in the philosophy of the education system that academic success is only one dimension of life, not its ultimate goal. No individual should be defined, limited or confined by the pursuit of academic success alone.
Disclaimer: Views expressed above are the author’s own.
