13,000 students die by suicide annually in India: Report
New Delhi: India witnesses over 13,000 student suicides every year, accounting for 7.6 percent of all suicides in the country, according to recent findings by the Indian National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), based on 2022 data.
According to Kashmir Media service, German broadcaster DW reported that India’s Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, presented these figures in Parliament, admitting that despite education reforms and mental health initiatives, intense academic pressure continues to affect vulnerable students.
Studies and official reports highlight academic and social stress, lack of institutional support, and insufficient awareness as key contributors to the rising suicide trend among students. Official figures for 2023 and 2024 have yet to be released.
Leading Indian neuro-psychiatrist Dr. Anjali Nagpal remarked that these numbers reflect silent suffering caused by rigid societal expectations. “We prepare children for exams, not for life,” she noted, emphasizing that mental health education should be integrated into daily school life.
Nelson Vinod Moses, founder of Suicide Prevention India Foundation, pointed to high competition, rigid grading systems, and weak mental health infrastructure as major causes. Other experts also stressed the need for trained counselors and support systems tailored to students’ needs.
