The 12-member Task Force, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, added that the surveys it had launched for students, faculty, parents, and citizens had received over 1 lakh responses so far. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The National Task Force set up by the Supreme Court to look into the issue of student suicides and mental health across higher education institutes will now have a Nodal Officer in each State and Union Territory to help with its work, the NTF said on Saturday (September 6, 2025).
The 12-member Task Force, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, added that the surveys it had launched for students, faculty, parents, and citizens had received over 1 lakh responses so far.
A statement issued by the NTF on Saturday (September 6, 2025) said that while all higher education institutes, universities, and colleges registered with the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) have been directed to provide detailed responses to the surveys by September 12; regulatory bodies, including the All India Council for Technical Education, the Pharmacy Council of India, the Bar Council of India, have also been directed to furnish data.
According to the NTF, the Department of Higher Education has directed the regulatory bodies to submit data on student/faculty composition by category and quota, mental health services available, records of suicides or attempts of suicide, student dropouts, grievance redressal committees, and challenges and measures related to student well-being.
Also read: Why India needs comprehensive school mental health programmes
The NTF was constituted by the Supreme Court while it was hearing a batch of petitions filed by parents of students who had died by suicide in campuses of higher education institutes across the country, including the parents of Rohith Vemula, and Payal Tadvi. They had sought relief from the court, arguing that there were not enough institutional guardrails to protect students from issues, including discrimination on campuses.
The mandate of the NTF covers the identification of “predominant” causes of student suicides, including but not limited to ragging, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden, and mental health-related stigma. It is also mandated to analyse existing regulations to assess institutional and systemic failures that may impact student well-being, and recommend concrete steps for improving the mental health of students, and preventing suicides.
In August, the NTF held its first press interaction and launched a website, where five different surveys were released to gather data that would help the panel in its work.
The NTF revealed on Saturday (September 6, 2025) that over 80,000 students, 10,000 faculty members, 15,000 parents, and 8,000 concerned citizens had filled out their respective surveys. In addition, it said that more than 700 mental health professionals had participated in the surveys.
Also read: Empowering India’s youth by supporting their mental health
The task force also said that it had completed 13 institute visits so far in Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu where it had engaged with all groups of stakeholders, adding that more visits were being planned.
The Nodal Officers being brought in to help the NTF will also be asked to share challenges, innovations and best practices from their respective States on this issue.
Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact Fortis Mental Health 24X7 helpline 8376804102.
Published – September 06, 2025 10:29 pm IST
