The Supreme Court on Monday directed that it shall be mandatory for all universities and colleges to promptly lodge an FIR with the local police whenever a student dies by suicide.
The court also constituted a National Task Force to be headed by former apex court judge, Justice Ravindra Bhat, to identify the causes behind such suicides, particularly in higher educational institutions like the IITs.
A bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan passed the judgment while directing Delhi police to register FIRs in the case of two Dalit students, who according to IIT Delhi had died by suicide but whose parents have alleged murder. The police filed closure reports without FIRs.
The bench, quoting official data, including reports tabled in Parliament, noted that the number of suicides in higher educational institutions in recent years was much higher than among farmers hit by agrarian crisis.
Justice Pardiwala and Justice Mahadevan said in the judgment authored jointly: "We are of the view that the responsibility of maintaining the safety and well-being of students rests heavily on the administration of every educational institution. Therefore, in the event of any unfortunate incident, such as a suicide occurring on campus, it becomes their unequivocal duty to promptly lodge an FIR with the appropriate authorities.
"Such action is not only a legal obligation but also a moral imperative to ensure transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of justice. Simultaneously, it is incumbent upon the police authorities to act with diligence and responsibility by registering the FIR without refusal or delay. This ensures that due process of law is upheld, and a thorough investigation can be conducted to uncover the truth and address any underlying causes.
"The harmonious discharge of these duties by both educational institutions and law enforcement agencies is essential to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies and preserve trust in societal institutions. In a given case, failure on the part of the administration of any educational institution may be viewed strictly."
Usually, one of the two judges writes a judgment but, in this case, both appended their names to the order.
The court passed the direction while allowing an appeal filed by family members of Dalit students — Ayush Ashna, found dead on July 8, 2023, in his hostel room at IIT Delhi, and Anil Kumar, found dead on September 1, 2023, in his hostel at the same institution.
While the police had filed closure reports in both cases as suicide on account of study pressure and depression, the families had alleged caste discrimination and possible murder for which they had sought FIRs. Delhi High Court had earlier declined the plea of the families following which they filed the appeal in the Supreme Court.
The bench cited the data provided by the Union minister of state for education to the Rajya Sabha in 2023 that 98 students died by suicide in higher educational institutions since 2018, of which 39 were from IITs, 25 from NITs, 25 from central universities, 4 from IIMs, 3 from IISERs and 2 from IIITs.
"The number of student suicides has now surpassed suicides committed by farmers due to agrarian distress, with a 4 per cent rise in 2024 alone,” the bench remarked. The court constituted the task force to address the mental health concerns of students.