In a significant order addressing both justice and student welfare, the Supreme Court while directing central bureau of investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the suspicious death of a 17-year-old national eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET-UG) aspirant in Visakhapatnam, also issued 15 binding and comprehensive directions. The student, enrolled at the Aakash Byju’s coaching centre, allegedly fell from the terrace of her hostel on 14 July 2023. The girl’s father moved to the apex court, accusing the police of botching the probe and raising serious concerns about institutional negligence and manipulation of the inquiry process.
The bench comprising justice Vikram Nath and justice Sandeep Mehta, while passing its order, criticised the handling of the case by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) police, citing multiple irregularities and lapses. These included conflicting CCTV footage, lack of crucial forensic and chemical analysis reports, and problematic medical treatment decisions — including the student being placed on a ventilator without the family’s consent. The post-mortem and related procedures were all carried out by a single doctor, raising red flags about conflict of interest and procedural integrity.
Rejecting the AP High Court’s decision not to transfer the investigation, the Supreme Court found enough grounds to believe that an impartial probe was not possible under the current framework. It held that this was one of those 'exceptional circumstances' where an independent, central investigation was necessary to unearth the truth. CBI has been given four months to submit a status report on its findings.
Beyond the immediate case, the Court used the opportunity to spotlight what it called a deeper 'suicide epidemic' among Indian students. Citing alarming figures from the national crime records bureau (NCRB), the bench noted that more than 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2022, with a disturbing spike in high-pressure education hubs such as Kota, Hyderabad, and the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) region.
The Court came down heavily on the prevailing culture in coaching centres and academic institutions, observing that the mental health burden placed on students remains largely ignored. To address this systemic crisis, the Court issued a comprehensive set of interim guidelines under Articles 32 and 141 of the Constitution.
All educational institutions across the country — including schools, colleges, universities, and coaching centres — have now been directed to appoint trained mental health professionals or empanel counsellors to provide timely psychological support. Dedicated counselling rooms and clear protocols for regular and on-demand sessions are to be put in place.
The Court has categorically prohibited the practice of dividing students into academic batches based on performance, commonly referred to as 'topper' or 'repeater' groups, noting that such segregation fosters anxiety, discrimination, and stigma.
Institutions are required to display suicide prevention helpline numbers prominently in classrooms, hostels, washrooms, and common areas. Parents, teachers, and staff must undergo regular sensitisation sessions to help identify early signs of distress or suicidal thoughts in students.
The guidelines also strictly bar any public shaming of students over poor academic performance or behavioural issues. Institutions must set up internal grievance redressal committees, including student and independent representatives, to ensure fair handling of complaints related to mental health, harassment, or other concerns.
Importantly, the Court has mandated annual third-party audits of mental health and well-being practices within educational institutions. Any suicide or attempted suicide must be formally reported to district authorities, and institutions must carry out internal inquiries with documented preventive measures.
Taking note of the unregulated mushrooming of private coaching centres, the Court directed all States and Union Territories (UTs) to frame and notify rules for their registration, regulation, and monitoring within two months. These rules must place a strong emphasis on student safety and mental health safeguards.
Each district is required to form a monitoring committee led by the district magistrate to oversee the implementation of these directives. Faculty and hostel staff must be trained in psychological first aid to offer preliminary help until professional assistance becomes available.
Additional safeguards must be implemented in academic pressure zones like Kota, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Sikar, and Bengaluru, including regulatory inspections, 24x7 helplines, and localised mental health task forces. The institutions have also been directed to proactively tackle issues of caste discrimination, gender sensitivity, and inclusivity to ensure that marginalised students are not alienated.
Finally, the Union government has been asked to submit a compliance affidavit within 90 days, detailing the steps taken to ensure nationwide implementation of these guidelines.
The judgment not only opens the door for justice in a deeply troubling case but also sets the foundation for long-overdue reform in India’s highly competitive and often brutal academic environment.
Here are the guidelines prescribed by the Supreme Court...
1) All educational institutions shall adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing cues from the UMMEED Draft Guidelines, the MANODARPAN initiative, 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.
2) All educational institutions with 100 or more enrolled students shall appoint/engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker with demonstrable training in child and adolescent mental health. Institutions with fewer students shall establish formal referral linkages with external mental health professionals.
3) All educational institutions shall ensure optimal student-to-counsellor ratios. Dedicated mentors or counsellors shall be assigned to smaller batches of students, especially during examination periods and academic transitions, to provide consistent, informal, and confidential support.
4) All educational institutions, more particularly the coaching institutes/centres, shall, as far as possible, refrain from engaging in batch segregation based on academic performance, public shaming, or assignment of academic targets disproportionate to students’ capacities.
5) All educational institutions shall establish written protocols for immediate referral to mental health services, local hospitals, and suicide prevention helplines. Suicide helpline numbers, including Tele-MANAS and other national services, shall be prominently displayed in hostels, classrooms, common areas, and on websites in large and legible print.
6) All teaching and non-teaching staff shall undergo mandatory training at least twice a year, conducted by certified mental health professionals, on psychological first-aid, identification of warning signs, response to self-harm, and referral mechanisms.
7) All educational institutions shall ensure that all teaching, non-teaching, and administrative staff are adequately trained to engage with students from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds in a sensitive, inclusive, and non-discriminatory manner. This shall include, but not be limited to, students belonging to scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), economically weaker sections (EWS), LGBTQ+ communities, students with disabilities, those in out-of-home care, and students affected by bereavement, trauma, or prior suicide attempts, or intersecting form of marginalisation.
8) All educational institutions shall establish robust, confidential, and accessible mechanisms for the reporting, redressal, and prevention of incidents involving sexual assault, harassment, ragging, and bullying on the basis of caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or ethnicity. Every such institution shall constitute an internal committee or designated authority empowered to take immediate action on complaints and provide psycho-social support to victims. Institutions shall also maintain zero tolerance for retaliatory actions against complainants or whistleblowers. In all such cases, immediate referral to trained mental health professionals must be ensured, and the student's safety, physical and psychological, shall be prioritised. Failure to take timely or adequate action in such cases, especially where such neglect contributes to a student’s self-harm or suicide, shall be treated as institutional culpability, making the administration liable to regulatory and legal consequences.
9) All educational Institutions shall regularly organise sensitisation programmes (physical and/or online) for parents and guardians on student mental health. It shall be the duty of the institution to sensitise the parents and guardians to avoid placing undue academic pressure, to recognise signs of psychological distress, and to respond empathetically and supportively. Further, mental health literacy, emotional regulation, life skills education, and awareness of institutional support services shall be integrated into student orientation programmes and co-curricular activities.
10) All educational institutions shall maintain anonymised records and prepare an annual report indicating the number of wellness interventions, student referrals, training sessions, and mental health-related activities. This report shall be submitted to the relevant regulatory authority, which may be the state education department, university grants commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), central board of secondary education (CBSE), or as otherwise indicated.
11) All educational institutions shall prioritise extracurricular activities, including sports, arts, and personality development initiatives. Examination patterns shall be periodically reviewed to reduce academic burden and to cultivate a broader sense of identity among students beyond test scores and ranks.
12) All educational institutions, including coaching centres and training institutes, shall provide regular, structured career counselling services for students and their parents or guardians. These sessions shall be conducted by qualified counsellors and shall aim to reduce unrealistic academic pressure, promote awareness of diverse academic and professional pathways, and assist students in making informed and interest-based career decisions. Institutions shall ensure that such counselling is inclusive, sensitive to socio-economic and psychological contexts, and does not reinforce narrow definitions of merit or success.
13) All residential-based educational institutions, including hostel owners, wardens and caretakers, shall take proactive steps to ensure that campuses remain free from harassment, bullying, drugs, and other harmful substances, thereby ensuring a safe and healthy living and learning environment for all students.
14) All residential-based institutions shall install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety devices, and shall restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas, in order to deter impulsive acts of self-harm.
15) All coaching hubs, including but not limited to Jaipur, Kota, Sikar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities where students migrate in large numbers for competitive examination preparation, shall implement heightened mental health protections and preventive measures. These regions, having witnessed disproportionately high incidents of student suicides, require special attention. The concerned authorities, namely, the department of education, district administration, and management of educational institutions, shall ensure the provision of regular career counselling for students and parents, regulation of academic pressure through structured academic planning, availability of continuous psychological support, and the establishment of institutional mechanisms for monitoring and accountability to safeguard student mental well-being.
