It is definitely a matter of huge significance that while expressing its deepest concern on the alarming rise in the suicides by students in our country, the Supreme Court in a most learned, laudable, landmark, logical and latest judgment titled Sukdeb Saha vs The State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors in Criminal Appeal (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No (s). 6378 of 2024) and cited in Neutral Citation No.: 2025 INSC 893 that was pronounced as recently as on July 25, 2025 in the exercise of its criminal appellate jurisdiction has issued a comprehensive set of 15 pan-India guidelines taking within its ambit all educational institutions which includes schools, colleges, coaching centres, universities, training academies and hostels which constitute the backbone of this robust judgment. It must be noted that these 15 pan-India guidelines were issued while transferring a case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), pertaining to the alleged suicidal death of a 17-year-old female student identified as Ms X who died at hostel in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh who was preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination for medical entrance at Aakash Byju’s Institute in Visakhapatnam on July 14, 2023. It must be also certainly borne in mind that a criminal appeal was preferred by the father of the deceased student who had challenged in Apex Court the judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court of February 14, 2024 which had rejected his prayer that sought transfer of investigation to CBI.
At the very outset, this brief, brilliant, bold and balanced judgment authored by Hon’ble Mr Justice Sandeep Mehta for a Bench of Apex Court comprising of Hon’ble Mr Justice Vikram Nath and himself sets the ball in motion by first and foremost putting forth in para 3 that, “The present appeal arises from the judgment and order dated 14th February, 2024, passed by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amravati (Hereinafter being referred to as ‘Andhra Pradesh High Court’) in Writ Petition No. 25381 of 2023, whereby the High Court rejected the appellant’s prayer, seeking transfer of the investigation of FIR No. 148 of 2023 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (Hereinafter being referred to as “CBI.”). The aforesaid FIR was registered following the tragic, unnatural death of the appellant’s 17-year-old daughter, Ms. X, who was undergoing coaching for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination at Aakash Byju’s Institute, Vishakhapatnam. She was staying in a Hostel when the unfortunate incident occurred on 14th July, 2023, leading to her untimely death.”
Over and above all, we need to note that what truly stands apart is that the Bench encapsulates in para 35 what constitutes the cornerstone of this notable judgment postulating precisely that, “Keeping in view of the above, and in exercise of the powers conferred upon this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India for the enforcement of fundamental rights, and treating this pronouncement as law declared by this Court under Article 141, we hereby issue the following guidelines, which shall remain in force and be binding until such time as appropriate legislation or regulatory frameworks are enacted by the competent authority. The Guidelines are prescribed as under:
I. All educational institutions shall adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing cues from the UMMEED Draft Guidelines, the MANODARPAN initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards of the institutes.
II. All educational institutions with 100 or more enrolled students shall appoint/engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker with demonstrable training in child and adolescent mental health. Institutions with fewer students shall establish formal referral linkages with external mental health professionals.
III. All educational institutions shall ensure optimal student-to-counsellor ratios. Dedicated mentors or counsellors shall be assigned to smaller batches of students, especially during examination periods and academic transitions, to provide consistent, informal, and confidential support.
IV. All educational institutions, more particularly the coaching institutes/centres, shall, as far as possible, refrain from engaging in batch segregation based on academic performance, public shaming, or assignment of academic targets disproportionate to students’ capacities.
V. All educational institutions shall establish written protocols for immediate referral to mental health services, local hospitals, and suicide prevention helplines. Suicide helpline numbers, including Tele-MANAS and other national services, shall be prominently displayed in hostels, classrooms, common areas, and on websites in large and legible print.
VI. All teaching and non-teaching staff shall undergo mandatory training at least twice a year, conducted by certified mental health professionals, on psychological first-aid, identification of warning signs, response to self-harm, and referral mechanisms.
VII. All educational institutions shall ensure that all teaching, non-teaching, and administrative staff are adequately trained to engage with students from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds in a sensitive, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory manner. This shall include, but not be limited to, students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), LGBTQ+ communities, students with disabilities, those in out-of-home care, and students affected by bereavement, trauma, or prior suicide attempts, or intersecting form of marginalisation.
VIII. All educational institutions shall establish robust, confidential, and accessible mechanisms for the reporting, redressal, and prevention of incidents involving sexual assault, harassment, ragging, and bullying on the basis of caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or ethnicity. Every such institution shall constitute an internal committee or designated authority empowered to take immediate action on complaints and provide psycho-social support to victims. Institutions shall also maintain zero tolerance for retaliatory actions against complainants or whistle-blowers. In all such cases, immediate referral to trained mental health professionals must be ensured, and the student’s safety, physical and psychological, shall be prioritised. Failure to take timely or adequate action in such cases, especially where such neglect contributes to a student’s self-harm or suicide, shall be treated as institutional culpability, making the administration liable to regulatory and legal consequences.
IX. All educational Institutions shall regularly organise sensitisation programmes (physical and/or online) for parents and guardians on student mental health. It shall be the duty of the institution to sensitise the parents and guardians to avoid placing undue academic pressure, to recognise signs of psychological distress, and to respond empathetically and supportively. Further, mental health literacy, emotional regulation, life skills education, and awareness of institutional support services shall be integrated into student orientation programmes and co-curricular activities.
X. All educational institutions shall maintain anonymised records and prepare an annual report indicating the number of wellness interventions, student referrals, training sessions, and mental health-related activities. This report shall be submitted to the relevant regulatory authority, which may be the State Education Department, University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), or as otherwise indicated.
XI. All educational institutions shall prioritise extracurricular activities, including sports, arts, and personality development initiatives. Examination patterns shall be periodically reviewed to reduce academic burden and to cultivate a broader sense of identity among students beyond test scores and ranks.
XII. All educational institutions, including coaching centres and training institutes, shall provide regular, structured career counselling services for students and their parents or guardians. These sessions shall be conducted by qualified counsellors and shall aim to reduce unrealistic academic pressure, promote awareness of diverse academic and professional pathways, and assist students in making informed and interest-based career decisions. Institutions shall ensure that such counselling is inclusive, sensitive to socioeconomic and psychological contexts, and does not reinforce narrow definitions of merit or success.
XIII. All residential-based educational institutions, including hostel owners, wardens and caretakers, shall take proactive steps to ensure that campuses remain free from harassment, bullying, drugs, and other harmful substances, thereby ensuring a safe and healthy living and learning environment for all students.
XIV. All residential-based institutions shall install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety devices, and shall restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas, in order to deter impulsive acts of self-harm.
XV. All coaching hubs, including but not limited to Jaipur, Kota, Sikar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities where students migrate in large numbers for competitive examination preparation, shall implement heightened mental health protections and preventive measures. These regions, having witnessed disproportionately high incidents of student suicides, require special attention. The concerned authorities, namely, the Department of Education, District Administration, and management of educational institutions, shall ensure the provision of regular career counselling for students and parents, regulation of academic pressure through structured academic planning, availability of continuous psychological support, and the establishment of institutional mechanisms for monitoring and accountability to safeguard student mental well-being.”
For sake of clarity, the Bench clarifies in para 36 stating that, “The above guidelines shall apply to all educational institutions across India, including public and private schools, colleges, universities, training centres, coaching institutes, residential academies, and hostels, irrespective of their affiliation. We may clarify that these guidelines are not in supersession but in parallel to the ongoing work of the National Task Force on Mental Health Concerns of Students and are being issued to provide an interim protective architecture in the interregnum. We believe that these guidelines shall be read as complementary to the ongoing work of the National Task Force and would inform and assist the National Task Force in the development of a more comprehensive and inclusive framework.”
It would be instructive to note that the Bench hastens to add in para 37 noting that, “All States and Union Territories shall, as far as practicable, notify rules within two months from the date of this judgment mandating registration, student protection norms, and grievance redressal mechanisms for all private coaching centres. These rules shall require compliance with the mental health safeguards prescribed herein.”
Be it noted, the Bench notes in para 38 that, “A district-level monitoring committee shall be constituted in each district under the chairpersonship of the District Magistrate or Collector. The committee may include representatives from the departments of education, health, and Child protection, civil society and shall oversee implementation, conduct inspections, and receive complaints.”
It is worth noting that the Bench notes in para 39 that, “Having regard to the serious and continuing nature of the concerns addressed herein, we direct the Union of India to file a compliance affidavit before this Court within a period of 90 days from the date of this judgment. The affidavit shall detail the steps taken to implement these guidelines, the coordination mechanisms established with State Governments, the status of regulatory rulemaking with respect to coaching centres, and the monitoring systems put in place. The affidavit shall also indicate the expected timeline for the completion of the report and recommendations of the National Task Force on Mental Health Concerns of Students.”
It would be worthwhile to note that the Bench directs and holds in para 40 that, “Let a copy of this judgment be circulated to the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Law and Justice, University Grants Commission, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Central Board of Secondary Education, All India Council for Technical Education, and the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories for immediate compliance and necessary action.”
Truly speaking, the Bench clarifies in para 42 holding that, “In view of the disposal of the above appeal, no further orders are required to be passed on the application(s) seeking impleadment as well as application (I.A. No. 63866/2025) seeking direction to produce chemical/medical reports, hence, the same stands disposed of as infructuous.”
Finally, the Bench then concludes by directing in para 44 holding that, “List again on 27th October, 2025, for receiving the compliance report.”
In summary, we thus see that the Apex Court has minced absolutely just no words to make it indubitably clear that the gravity of the crisis warranted constitutional intervention, as it drew upon powers under Article 32 of the Constitution to enforce fundamental rights and treating its pronouncement as the law of the land under Article 141. Quite alarmingly, the Bench points out in para 8 that, “In the recent past, multiple reports have emerged of student suicides in premier educational institutions and, more particularly, coaching centres, pointing to a pattern of despair that demands collective introspection. These young individuals, often far away from home, isolated in demanding academic environments, find themselves without adequate emotional or institutional support. The culture of silence around mental health, coupled with insufficient safeguards in educational institutions, exacerbates their vulnerability. The gravity of this crisis cannot be overstated, and any incident involving the death of a student under such circumstances warrants the utmost seriousness, not just as an isolated tragedy, but as part of a larger systemic malaise that threatens the future of the young generation.”
Most remarkably, it is worth paying attention that the Bench points out in para 31 that, “Mental health is an integral component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. This Court has, in a consistent line of precedents, affirmed that the right to life does not mean mere animal existence, but a life of dignity, autonomy, and well-being. Mental health is central to this vision. In Shatrughan Chauhan v. Union of India (2014) 3 SCC 1 and Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018) 10 SCC 1, this Court recognised mental integrity, psychological autonomy, and freedom from degrading treatment as essential facets of human dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Further, the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (Hereinafter referred to as MH Act), a rights based legislation, reinforces this constitutional mandate by recognising every person’s right to access mental healthcare and protection from inhuman or degrading treatment in mental health settings. Section 18 of the MH Act guarantees mental health services to all, and Section 115 of the MH Act explicitly decriminalises attempted suicide, acknowledging the need for care and support rather than punishment. These provisions read with judicial precedents reflect a broader constitutional vision that mandates a responsive legal framework to prevent self-harm and promote well-being, particularly among vulnerable populations such as students and youth.” It is also very rightly pointed out in para 32 underscoring that, “Under International Law, India’s obligations under various human rights instruments and treaties reinforce the above constitutional imperative to protect and promote mental health. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which India is a State Party, under Article 12 recognises the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its General Comment No. 14, has affirmed that this right includes timely access to mental health services and prevention of mental illness, including suicide. Similarly, under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006, mental health conditions are recognised within the scope of psychosocial disabilities, and States are under an obligation to provide accessible, non-discriminatory mental health care to the vulnerable individuals. Further, the World Health Organisation’s Mental Health Action Plan, such as the WHA66.8 Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, have identified suicide prevention as a public health priority, calling upon States to reduce suicide mortality rates through national strategies, school based interventions, and community support mechanisms. These evolving international norms reinforce the view that suicide prevention is not merely a policy objective but a binding obligation flowing from the right to life, health, and human dignity.” Absolutely right!
Sanjeev Sirohi