The Supreme Court on Monday, November 20, emphasised that the escalating number of suicides nationwide is primarily attributed to the "intense competition" and "pressure" exerted by parents on their children preparing for competitive exams, states a report by PTI.
The comments were made during the hearing of a plea advocating the regulation of mushrooming coaching institutes and presenting data on student suicides. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, expressed helplessness and said the judiciary cannot pass directions in such a scenario.
"These are not easy things. Pressure from parents is behind all these incidents. More than the children, it is the parents who are putting pressure on them. How can the court pass directions in such a scenario," remarked the bench to advocate Mohini Priya, representing the petitioner, Mumbai-based doctor Aniruddha Narayan Malpani.
According to the report, Justice Khanna said, "Although, most of us will not want any coaching institute to be there, but look at the conditions of schools. There is intense competition and students have no other option but to go to these coaching institutes."
Priya referred to the 2020 data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), stating that approximately 8.2% of students in the country succumb to suicide.
The bench said that it is aware of the situation but it reiterated its inability to issue directions and suggested that the petitioner approach the government with his solutions. Priya subsequently sought to withdraw the plea to pursue the appropriate forum, which the court allowed.
Malpani's plea, presented through Priya, aimed at securing directions for regulating the conduct of “profit-hungry private coaching institutes mushrooming across India which provide coaching for various competitive entrance examinations such as IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)”.
It said that the petitioner has been constrained to approach the court as several students have committed suicides in recent years "facilitated by the absolute lack of regulation and oversight by the Respondents (Centre and state governments)".
The plea underscored the plight of children as young as 14 entering these coaching facilities, away from their homes, subject to rigorous preparation for medical or engineering college admissions, states the report.
"After being in a protected home environment, the child is suddenly exposed to the harsh competitive world without being mentally equipped to do so. These profit-hungry coaching institutes, however, do not care about student well-being and are only focussed on minting money leading to the youth of India being pressurised enough to take their own lives," the petition said.
The petition drew attention to the adverse living and studying conditions at these coaching factories, adversely affecting the mental health of students.
The plea said that student suicides were a grave human rights concern.
"The lackadaisical attitude of the Centre in enacting a law despite the rising number of suicides clearly reflects upon the State's apathy towards protecting these young minds who are the future of our country and their constitutional right to live with dignity guaranteed under Article 21," the plea alleged.
