Supreme Court Issues Stern Warning to IITs, IIMs Over Student Suicide Survey Non-Compliance

The Supreme Court has expressed significant frustration and issued a stern warning to Indias premier educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), for their distinct lack of cooperation in a vital survey investigating the causes of rising student suicides on campuses.

The Court has afforded these institutions a final opportunity to comply, explicitly stating that failure to do so could result in strict orders potentially damaging the reputation of non-compliant institutes. This critical survey was initiated by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court to address the alarming issue of campus suicides. Senior Advocate Aparna Bhatt, assisting the court, revealed that despite numerous reminders, 17 IITs and 15 IIMs have yet to participate.

Alarmingly, over 57,000 educational institutes nationwide have not cooperated, with only approximately 3,500 institutions having responded thus far. The Supreme Courts multidisciplinary task force, led by retired judge Ravindra Bhat, is meticulously analysing various contributing factors to student suicides, ranging from ragging and discrimination to academic pressure and mental health issues.