Yesterday, Monday, October 27, the Supreme Court of India directed all states and Union Territories to report to it within eight weeks on the implementation of the guidelines it issued to address mental health concerns and student suicides in educational institutions.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also granted the Centre eight weeks to file a compliance affidavit, outlining the actions it took to follow these directions.
It was hearing a matter about compliance with the guidelines prescribed by the apex court in its July 25 judgement, PTI reports.
In that ruling, the Supreme Court ordered that all states and Union Territories, to the greatest extent possible, notify laws mandating registration, student protection standards, and grievance redressal systems for all private coaching institutions within two months.
During the hearing on Monday, the bench was informed that in the July ruling, the Centre was ordered to file a compliance affidavit with the court within 90 days.
The bench ordered that all states and union territories be impleaded as respondents in the case, and that they file their reply within eight weeks. It scheduled a follow-up hearing for January 2026.
Legislative framework needed, SC said
Taking note of the rise in suicides in educational institutions, the Supreme Court emphasised the importance of addressing the severity of the mental health problem afflicting students and issued pan-India instructions to deal with it.
It stated that there is still a "legislative and regulatory vacuum" in the country in terms of a consistent, enforceable framework for preventing student suicide in educational institutions, coaching institutions, and student-centric environments.
The bench issued 15 guidelines, which will stay in force and be binding until the competent authority enacts suitable laws or regulatory frameworks.
It said that all educational institutions must create and execute a consistent mental health strategy, taking inspiration from the 'Ummeed' draft guidelines, the 'Manodarpan' program, 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,” the bench had said.
