What is Management Doing?’ SC Questions Universities amid rise in Student Suicides’

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The Supreme Court of India has sharply denounced the managements of IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University, mentioning serious deficiencies in how both institutions responded to recent student suicides.

During a suo motu hearing on July 28, Justices J. B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan posed pointed questions: “Why are students committing suicide? What is the management doing?” The Bench expressed deep concern over the rising incidents and questioned universities to clarify preventive measures and mental health protocols. Detailed status reports were ordered within four weeks from both university administrations as well as local police.

Senior lawyer Aparna Bhatt, the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae in the Sharda University case, said that on July 18, Jyoti Sharma, a second-year dentistry student (also referred to in other media as a second-year BDS student), committed herself in a hostel room. The court was informed that the crime scene was compromised because university employees had moved the student’s body before alerting the police or parents. About two hours after the incident, the student’s father filed a formal complaint, expressing serious concerns about institutional indifference and delays.

In contrast, the IIT Kharagpur university reportedly called the police within 20 to 30 minutes of finding the body in the case of Ritam Mandal, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student enrolled in a dual-degree program, the institute reportedly contacted the police within 20–30 minutes of discovering the body. An FIR was lodged by the institution, and a 10-member committee and 12-member counseling centre were already in place to support students. This marked the fourth student death reported at IIT Kharagpur since January 2025, prompting renewed scrutiny of campus mental health support.

The court underscored its March 24 mandate for institutions to immediately report suicides or suspicious student deaths and warned of contempt proceedings if FIRs were delayed or protocols ignored.

Aparna Bhatt’s report contrasted the responses: while IIT followed protocol promptly, Sharda University was found to have lax oversight in crisis response. In the latter case, staff moving the body, delayed notification, and lack of internal communication drew scathing criticism.

With investigations under way, the court deferred further observations, setting the next hearing four weeks out. Meanwhile, a national task force chaired by former Supreme Court judge S. Ravindra Bhat continues work to propose systemic reforms on student mental health, expected to deliver preliminary findings in September.

Broader Context & Institutional Reforms

• At IIT Kharagpur, the director has launched a new SETU initiative, an AI‑powered wellness app plus peer‑support network including “campus mothers” to support emotional wellbeing. Student-led task forces and increased counselling access aim to foster a safer environment .
  

• NCW has demanded a report from Sharda University within three working days, following allegations of harassment tied to the student suicide case; two faculty members have already been arrested in connection.

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