Student suicides 7.6% of all suicide cases across India: Minister
Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar shared the data from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in response to a written question in the Lower House.
The minister informed that multi-pronged measures were being rolled out to address the crisis, including psychological support for students, teachers, and families.
'The Ministry of Education's flagship programme, Manodarpan, has reached lakhs of students through counselling helplines and live interactive sessions, while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's district mental health programme (DMHP) covers 767 districts with suicide prevention services and life skills training in schools and colleges,' he said.
Recognising the role of addiction as an emerging issue among youth, the Centre has intensified anti-drug campaigns alongside mental health outreach. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued advisories to higher education institutions to prioritise physical fitness, sports, student welfare, and emotional well-being.
Institutions like IIT-Madras, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Guwahati have begun conducting workshops on stress management and resilience under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme, he added.
The Minister of State for Education also said in the Lok Sabha that the Ministry of Education is in the process of drafting legislation to establish the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) — a proposed unified regulatory body for higher education.
In a written reply, Majumdar said the initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for a 'light but tight' regulatory structure. The framework aims to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability while promoting institutional autonomy, innovation, and good governance.
Currently, the UGC oversees non-technical education, AICTE handles technical institutions, and NCTE regulates teacher education. The idea of consolidating these functions under a single regulator was first floated in a 2018 draft bill aimed at repealing the UGC Act, which was then opened for public consultation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Shivamogga MP meets Finance Minister, seeks inclusion of Kollur under PRASHAD scheme
MP for Shivamogga B.Y. Raghavendra on Wednesday met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi, discussed key projects concerning Karnataka, and sought her support for the inclusion of Kollur in Udupi distrit under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) scheme. A communique released by the MP's office said that Mr. Raghavendra requested the Minister to support the proposal to tap the tourism potential of Kollur under the PRASHAD scheme. Kollur was known for the Mookambika Temple, and development of the place with an eye on tourism would ensure growth in the region, he stated. Mr. Raghavendra requested the Minister to grant funds to set up wellness centres at Shivamogga, Mangaluru, and Udupi under the Central Government Health Scheme and recruit people for the centres. The Lok Sabha member said that he had a fruitful discussion with the Minister, and he was confident that she would consider his pleas and extend her support for the benefit of people in Karnataka.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Chikungunya cases surge in Telangana; Centre and State report contradictory figures
Telangana has reportedly witnessed an alarming rise in chikungunya cases in the first half of 2025, with the Union government pegging the number at 1,588 cases between January and June, a ninefold rise from 170 cases during the same period in 2024. However, the State health department has contested the figure, calling it inaccurate. The data was shared in Parliament on July 25 by Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, in response to a question on the status of vector-borne diseases across the country. According to the Minister's written reply in the Lok Sabha, several States and Union Territories have seen marginal rise in seasonal diseases. 'Cases of other vector-borne diseases marginally increased in some of the States and Union Territories due to enhanced surveillance and paperless reporting on Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) in 2025 as compared to corresponding period in 2024,' the Minister's Lok Sabha response said. But Telangana's Directorate of Public Health (DPH) has raised concerns about the accuracy of the chikungunya numbers cited by the Centre. 'The actual number of cases recorded until June is around 240, and those too have been effectively controlled to prevent any further rise. Regular monitoring is being carried out and the situation remains under control.,' said Amar Singh Naik, Additional Director in DPH. He added, 'The number presented in the Lok Sabha is wrong. We don't know how that data was generated, but it is not consistent with our records.' Meanwhile, the Minister's response stated that proactive steps have been taken in anticipation of seasonal outbreaks with the onset of the monsoon. These include intensified surveillance for early detection of vector-borne diseases, anti-larval operations in mosquito breeding hotspots and awareness campaigns at the community level. States, including Telangana, have been supplied with diagnostic kits, treatment materials and budgetary assistance under the National Health Mission.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Manifold increase in rabies deaths in two years: Centre
Though the number of presumptive cases of human rabies has come down from 4,885 in 2022 to 1,079 in 2024, the number of rabies deaths has increased manifold to 180 in 2024 from 22 in 2022, the Animal Husbandry Ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (August 5, 2025). In 2024, the highest number of deaths was reported from Tamil Nadu (43), followed by Karnataka (42) and Andhra Pradesh (39). In 2023, 121 people died of rabies and 2,223 presumptive cases were reported. In a written answer to a question by Member of Parliament from Kerala Adoor Prakash, Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry S.P. Singh Baghel said that municipalities are mandated to control the stray dog population. 'Municipalities are implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme to stabilise the population of stray dogs,' he said, adding that the Animal Birth Control Rules, issued by the Centre, emphasise neutering and anti-rabies vaccination as primary tools for dog population management. ABC programme implementation 'The Central Government and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) have issued several advisories to ensure effective implementation of the ABC programme. Recently, on July 21, 2025, the Secretaries of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) issued a joint advisory to all Chief Secretaries, urging the implementation of the ABC programme and the development of requisite infrastructure,' he said. The Minister added that financial assistance of up to ₹800 per dog and ₹600 per cat is provisioned for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and local bodies for conducting ABC as per the 2023 Rules. 'A one-time grant of ₹2 crore is provisioned for State-run veterinary hospitals for developing infrastructure, including surgical theatres, kennels, and recovery units,' he said.
