The great despair: why are students dying

The article highlights the alarming rise in student suicides in India, which reached a record high of 14,488 in 2024, now exceeding farmer suicides. It attributes this crisis not merely to examination pressure or individual mental health issues, but to systemic failures, intense societal expectations for educational success, economic insecurity, lack of institutional support, and prevalent mental health stigma. The Supreme Court has termed student suicides an 'epidemic' and a 'systemic constitutional concern,' issuing directives to the UGC and establishing a National Task Force. The article calls for sustained political and administrative leadership to address this as a national developmental, social justice, and constitutional crisis, emphasizing the need for accountability and effective implementation of policies.