Today, On 11th July, Chief Justice asked the Centre to list the steps being taken to prevent student suicides. Experts have identified suicide as the largest public health crisis affecting both young and old in India, according to a report by news agency IANS.
New Delhi: Chief Justice DY Chandrachud voiced his concern over the increasing number of student suicides in the country. He directed the Union Health Ministry to submit an affidavit detailing the measures being taken to address this issue, which the court recognized as a serious social concern.
Terming the increasing number of suicides as a “social issue,” the Supreme Court on Thursday granted the Centre four weeks to file a comprehensive reply to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking effective implementation of a public health program aimed at suicide prevention and reduction.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions from lawyer and petitioner Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who emphasized the need for effective measures to address the rising suicide rates. The bench requested the Centre to submit a detailed affidavit.
Advocate Gaurav Bansal filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urging the implementation of measures to curb the rising trend of suicides among students. Citing data from a Delhi Police RTI response, Bansal revealed that over 400 students under the age of 18 died by suicide in Delhi between 2014 and 2018.
Experts identified suicide as the most significant public health crisis in India, affecting both young and old populations, as reported by news agency IANS. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released a report in April indicating that 171,000 people died by suicide in India in 2022. The suicide rate has risen to 12.4 per 100,000 people, marking the highest rate ever recorded in the country.
Recognizing the social implications, the CJI remarked,
“It is a social issue, let them (Centre and authorities) file a counter affidavit.”
On August 2, 2019, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre and all states and Union territories regarding the PIL.
The plea also calls for a directive to all states and Union territories to launch initiatives providing support and advice through call centers and helplines for individuals with suicidal thoughts.
Citing data from the Delhi Police, the petition highlighted that 140 suicide cases involving children under 18 years were recorded between 2014 and 2018.
The plea argued that the authorities’ failure to draft, design, and implement a public health program for suicide prevention and reduction violates Sections 29 and 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, as well as Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.
Bansal’s petition alleges that the Delhi government failed to provide a healthy social environment.
The plea asserts that all states and Union territories neglected to implement various provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 and urges them to take appropriate steps to prevent and reduce suicides in their areas.
It further demands that the authorities be required to provide a status report on the actions taken to implement the public health program for suicide prevention and reduction.
Referencing the World Health Organization‘s (WHO) report “Preventing Suicide, A Global Imperative,” the petitioner noted that young people are among the most affected, with suicide being the second leading cause of death globally for individuals aged 15 to 29.
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