‘Beyond Kota and IIT exams’: Student suicides have more than board exams, academic pressure behind them

KOLKATA: Amitabh*, a Class 12 student of a government school in Kolkata, died by suicide, allegedly after facing rejection from family and friends over his sexual orientation.

“The student was seeking acceptance for his identity and relationship but faced severe criticism from his family,” said Dipankar Pal Choudhury, headmaster of a school in Kolkata. “He had tried to harm himself in a previous incident as well, and the next day, he took the extreme step.”

The tragic death of Amitabh brings to the fore a growing crisis in the education system and highlights the need for students’ inclusivity. However, Choudhury said most government school students are not very interested in higher education, so the pressure of entrance exams or getting into a good college is fairly less. “But again, I will say parental pressure is there,” he added.

“We as a society need to be careful about such issues. This year, the government of West Bengal has started training teachers so that they can handle students from going into depression,” he added.

Student Suicides: Ragging, bullying, counselling

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), student suicides have nearly doubled from 6,654 in 2012 to 13,044 in 2022. While recent data from the IC3 institute shows a slight decrease in such incidents – 3,044 student suicides in 2022 compared to 13,089 in 2021 – the decade-long trend remains alarming, with male student suicides increasing by 50% and female suicides by 61%.

The crisis extends beyond academic pressure where school students are subject to bullying and ragging. On January 15, 15-year-old Mihir Ahmed jumped to death from the 26th floor of the apartment he was staying in. While the mother of the student alleged ragging, police are investigating the case.

Despite schools employing counselors, the stigma surrounding mental health persists. The IC3 institute’s survey reveals that more than half of the students (51%) never consult a counsellor, only 8% had regular counseling sessions.

The data compiled by NCRB is based on police-recorded first information reports (FIRs). “However, it is important to acknowledge that the actual number of student suicides is likely underreported. This under-reporting can be attributed to several factors, including the social stigma surrounding suicide and the criminalisation of attempted and assisted suicide under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Although the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act decriminalizes suicide attempts for individuals with mental illness, the legacy of criminalisation continues to impact reporting practices”, the IC3 report said.

Societal pressure, parents’ expectations

Ranita Saha, an English teacher at DDMS (AMS) Obul Reddy Public School, Hyderabad, identified societal expectations and competition as major stressors. Talking about the role of teachers, she said, "We understand that everyone is not destined to become an engineer, doctor or a lawyer. What we want parents to understand is that every child has a unique role to play.”

It has been seen that academic pressure, family expectations, body image concerns, college admission stress, and financial issues are the top five causes of mental distress among students. "We should not impose parents' unfulfilled dreams on children. Instead, parents, along with teachers, must be empathetic and supportive of their child's choices," Saha added.

The IC3 report also reveals that 29% of student suicides occur in South India, 24% in the West, and 11% in the East. However, Ganesh Kohli, founder of IC3, cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions, as the crisis goes beyond geographical boundaries.

"While Kota and IIT entrance exams are often cited, the problem is widespread. It is a cultural issue, not limited to specific institutions," he said.

The numbers are particularly alarming in a global context. "India stands alone globally where suicides, and not road accidents, are the leading cause of adolescent deaths,” Kohli added.

Role of parents and schools

Rodney Borneo, principal of St. Augustine’s Day School, Shyamnagar, West Bengal, said many parents push their children into predefined career paths without understanding their strengths or passions. "Why are parents so outward-looking? Why are they trying to make a musician an engineer or a writer a physicist? It is because there is no guidance ecosystem." And schools, too, contribute to this pressure.

Counselling should not be an emergency measure but a culture embedded within the education system. "Every teacher must be a counsellor," Kohli further said, adding, "Guidance should start in primary school and become more structured from Grade 7 onwards. If schools integrate counselling into daily interactions, students will not perceive it as an intervention, but as a support system for growth."

Saha and Borneo agreed, emphasising that this initiative has been taken very seriously and implemented in their respective schools. "Students should feel safe discussing their fears and ambitions without judgment. That is the role of a strong counselling framework."

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"There was a government initiative from the health department — a five-day training programme for teachers," Pal Choudhury said. "However, not all teachers are equipped to handle these issues. They must understand that these are serious concerns, and any negligence on their part could worsen a student's problems, potentially leading to a fatal outcome," he added.

Competition versus competence

Experts highlighted the need to shift focus from competition to competence. "Comparison leads to competition, which, when taken to extremes, results in self-inflicted violence," Kohli said. “Instead of pushing students toward predefined success metrics, schools and parents must encourage the development of individual strengths.”

Borneo explained, "Students have different learning styles — some learn better alone, others in groups. But our system forces everyone into the same mold. This lack of flexibility creates stress and despair."

Saha added that government initiatives such as the National Education Policy (NEP) and decriminalisation of suicide in 2017 are steps in the right direction, but implementation at the grassroots level is crucial.

“Students often don’t tell their parents about their struggles. Because they feel safer confiding in their teachers. And that is the reason teachers must be prepared to support them," Pal Choudhury said.

Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821 Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.