Student suicide crisis has become a serious problem today, not just for families and institutions, but also for the judiciary. As observed in the court case of Sukdeb Saha vs. State of Andhra Pradesh, the modern education system, which is full of cutthroat exams and pressure to achieve good grades, poses various mental health challenges for students. In simple words, if I explain, a student’s academic success is simply limited to how they perform in the exams, rather than focusing on their holistic development.
When the Supreme Court stated that mental health is a right, it surely did observe multiple reports that showcase an increasing number of student suicides in premier educational institutions, especially coaching centres. Let’s understand the Supreme Court’s call on mental health as a right in detail and discuss the final message we get from these guidelines.
Sukdeb Saha vs. State of Andhra Pradesh: The Backstory
Before finding out how the result of taking mental health as a right came into light, it is important to know how this case started and what led the court to take this decision. Here’s a summary of this case:
- This is a story of a 17-year-old NEET aspirant who was the daughter of Sukdeb Saha, who committed suicide from the hostel terrace in Visakhapatnam.
- The concern of the appellant was the mishandling of the investigation by the local police and the destruction of forensic evidence. This includes CCTV footage and possible medical help. Additionally, the litigant also proposed a lack of mental health protection and emotional support that a student requires before taking such serious decisions.
- When talking about this tragedy, the Supreme Court not only looked at it as a single crisis, but as an existing crisis in India that has been going on for ages.
- National Crime Records Bureau report on “Accidental Deaths & Suicides” recorded 1,70,924 cases, of which 13,044 were student suicides.
- After this, the Supreme Court came to the final idea that education should focus on students’ holistic growth and development, and not just on unachievable academic targets.
Mental Health As A Right: Supreme Court’s Final Call
For many years, mental health has been talked about, such as how important it is for students and working professionals. But this is the first time that mental health is being considered as a fundamental right—a right to life and protection of citizens facing mental health problems, especially students. So here come two questions. First, what are mental health rights?
And second, how mental health became a right. In the first instance, mental health rights talk about the guaranteed protection of students for their emotional and overall well-being. In legal terms, it asks institutions to create safer environments to protect mental wellness.
This also means creating policies that promote mental health services to all, prevention plans, and early intervention policies. Any violation of these implies a breach of one of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Now, talking about how mental health became a right?
The major reason lies in the growing number of student suicides, which the Supreme Court believes needs to be protected at the earliest possible stage. Let’s discuss the final guidelines stated by the Supreme Court for educational institutions.
Mental Health As A Right: Supreme Court’s Final Decision
Since the court took this final decision to consider mental health as a right under the right to life (Article 21), it also issued crucial guidelines for schools, colleges, and coaching centres, which are to be followed. In our previous blog, we have already discussed these mental health guidelines. Here’s a quick summary on the same:
- All institutions should create a strong mental health support system by placing a dedicated counsellor/psychologist.
- There should be regular workshops on mental health and suicide prevention.
- Institutions must create a personalized suicide prevention plan for students who are at risk and safeguard students from marginalized backgrounds.
- All cases of student suicides must be transparent to investigation with relevant evidence, CCTV footage, and forensic guidance.
- Institutions must provide regular updates on the child’s emotional and mental health challenges, if any.
Final Message
In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s judgment of making mental health a right is a positive action for students suffering from any mental health concern. However, the problem lies in the practical implementation of these guidelines stated by the Supreme Court. We believe these will not just stay in the papers and will be seriously taken by coaching centres and education institutions (schools, colleges, and universities) to promote the holistic development of students and help them when needed, rather than leaving them with unachievable academic targets.
