The Union education ministry has reminded universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) to immediately report every student suicide or unnatural death to the police, irrespective of where it occurred, the circumstances or the mode of study, while directing them to comply with the Supreme Court’s directions on preventing student suicides and addressing mental health concerns.
The letter is a compliance reminder.
Citing paragraph 45(iii) of the apex court’s January 15, 2026 order, the ministry said: “HEIs shall immediately report every student suicide or unnatural death to police authorities, irrespective of location, circumstances, mode of study or accommodation.”
The family of one of them, Anil Kumar, had alleged caste-based discrimination and harassment. The ministry also reiterated other directions from the January order. Residential HEIs must provide round-the-clock qualified medical assistance or ensure equivalent emergency medical support within one kilometre where such facilities are unavailable on campus.
The Supreme Court’s January order followed its proceedings in a case concerning the deaths of two Scheduled Caste students of IIT Delhi in 2023. The proceedings led the court to constitute a National Task Force (NTF), headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, in March 2025 to examine measures to prevent student suicides and address mental health concerns in higher educational institutions.
