Preliminary findings from a nationwide survey by the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) show that about 9 per cent of respondents — nearly one in 11 — had experienced suicidal thoughts often or very often over the past year. A further 15 per cent described a prolonged spell of low mood, anxiety or distress in the previous six months. The survey drew responses from more than 2.43 lakh students.
Feelings of isolation were widespread. About 34 per cent said they felt like outsiders on campus to some degree. Roughly two-thirds of respondents came from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities, a group that the task force’s mandate specifically asks it to consider.
Trust in institutions emerged as a weak point. Only 56 per cent of students said they believed their administration would handle serious problems fairly, and nearly a third said their institution did not offer any counselling service at all. The figures suggest the issue is not only whether help exists, but also whether students know about it, trust it and can reach it when they need it.
The institutional data points the same way. According to reporting on the task force’s work, more than 70 per cent of surveyed institutions had no full-time mental health professional, and fewer than 4 per cent had formal protocols for managing suicide risk.
The task force’s interim work also recorded complaints of caste and gender discrimination, sexual harassment, language barriers and unequal academic attention. Beyond students, it has surveyed faculty, parents, mental health providers and institutions and held 30 meetings at 19 sites across several states.
The findings arrive amid renewed concern over student deaths at premier institutions. In January 2026, the Supreme Court directed institutions to report student suicides and unnatural deaths to authorities, submit annual reports to regulators, and ensure round-the-clock access to qualified medical help in residential campuses.
The task force has urged caution in reading the numbers. Its sample does not represent all students, and researchers are still analysing open-ended responses, so the findings remain preliminary. The survey also does not count suicides in 2026.
The NTF is due to submit its final report to the Supreme Court by October 31.
Updated