Supreme Court Sets Up National Task Force to Address Student Mental Health Concerns
| Key Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Supreme Court establishes National Task Force (NTF) for student mental health |
| Trigger | Rising student suicides, including two IIT Delhi students in 2023 |
| Chairperson | Justice S. Ravindra Bhat |
| Members | Secretaries from higher education, social justice, legal affairs, and women and child development ministries (ex-officio) |
| Objectives | - Identify causes of student suicides <br> - Assess legal and institutional frameworks <br> - Propose preventive measures |
| Authority | - Conduct surprise inspections <br> - Suggest additional measures |
| Timeline | - Interim report: 4 months <br> - Final report: 8 months |
| Court Directives | - Delhi Police to register FIR on IIT Delhi suicides <br> - Investigation by officer of ACP rank or higher |
| Caste Discrimination | Acknowledged as a significant factor; FIR under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 |
| Statistics (2018-2023) | 98 student suicides: <br> - IITs: 39 <br> - NITs: 25 <br> - Central Universities: 25 <br> - IIMs: 4 <br> - IISERs: 3 <br> - IIITs: 2 |
| Legal Provisions | Police duty under Section 174 and Section 154 of CrPC |