Latest news with #NTF
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Task force for well-being of students unveils portal
The National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to address student suicides and mental well-being in higher education institutions on Friday (August 8, 2025) launched a website hosting five surveys to gather inputs from stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, mental health professionals, and members of the public. The NTF was set up earlier this year in the context of student suicides across premier institutions, after parents of several students who had died by suicide — including those of IIT Delhi's Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, both from Scheduled Caste backgrounds — approached the court seeking directions on caste discrimination, institutional support mechanisms, and administrative responses. The petitioners also included the families of Dalit students Rohith Vemula (2016) and Payal Tadvi (2019). The court constituted the task force in March. Members of the NTF told The Hindu that the panel is conducting institute visits, stakeholder and expert meetings, alongside the newly launched surveys. One member said the NTF had so far visited six institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru, including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ramjas College, the Indian Institute of Science, and Bangalore Medical College. On future visits, the member said, 'The NTF will also visit private universities. There are over 50,000 institutes across the country. It is not possible to visit all of them. The task force is yet to decide on whether to visit institutes like IITs, given that the incidents in those institutes have already been investigated by multiple committees.' The 12-member NTF is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, with experts in development studies, psychiatry, and civil society, and the Joint Secretary of Higher Education as Convener. Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Education, Social Justice, Health, Women and Child Development, and the Department of Legal Affairs are ex-officio members. Its mandate includes identifying 'predominant' causes of student suicides - including ragging, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden, and stigma around mental health - analysing existing regulations to assess institutional and systemic shortcomings, and recommending steps to improve student mental health and prevent suicides. An NTF member said that during visits, the panel holds interactions with all stakeholder groups, including closed-door sessions with students to enable them to share grievances freely. The surveys, available at include separate questionnaires for students, parents, institutional representatives, mental health professionals, and the public. The site, accessible in English and Hindi, also provides student support resources with helpline numbers and a platform for institutes to share data. While the matter was being heard, the University Grants Commission issued a draft regulation for promoting equity and addressing discrimination on campuses, after petitioners argued that the 2012 regulations were inadequate. Following the draft's release, the petitioners submitted that the 2025 version diluted earlier provisions. The court permitted the UGC to proceed with the notification process, noting that the NTF's mandate covered the subject and that the regulation could be amended based on the task force's recommendations, if required. An interim report is expected in September, following which the NTF is scheduled to submit the final report by the end of this year. Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could also seek help from Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention by calling 011-40769002 or any of the numbers found in this link.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
National Task Force to address discrimination and student suicides in universities; launches surveys, website
The National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to address student suicides and mental well-being in higher education institutions on Friday (August 8, 2025) launched a website hosting five surveys to gather inputs from stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, mental health professionals, and members of the public. The NTF was set up earlier this year in the context of student suicides across premier institutions, after parents of several students who had died by suicide — including those of IIT Delhi's Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, both from Scheduled Caste backgrounds — approached the court seeking directions on caste discrimination, institutional support mechanisms, and administrative responses. The petitioners also included the families of Dalit students Rohith Vemula (2016) and Payal Tadvi (2019). The court constituted the task force in March. Members of the NTF told The Hindu that the panel is conducting institute visits, stakeholder and expert meetings, alongside the newly launched surveys. One member said the NTF had so far visited six institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru, including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ramjas College, the Indian Institute of Science, and Bangalore Medical College. On future visits, the member said, 'The NTF will also visit private universities. There are over 50,000 institutes across the country. It is not possible to visit all of them. The task force is yet to decide on whether to visit institutes like IITs, given that the incidents in those institutes have already been investigated by multiple committees.' The 12-member NTF is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, with experts in development studies, psychiatry, and civil society, and the Joint Secretary of Higher Education as Convener. Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Education, Social Justice, Health, Women and Child Development, and the Department of Legal Affairs are ex-officio members. Its mandate includes identifying 'predominant' causes of student suicides - including ragging, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden, and stigma around mental health - analysing existing regulations to assess institutional and systemic shortcomings, and recommending steps to improve student mental health and prevent suicides. An NTF member said that during visits, the panel holds interactions with all stakeholder groups, including closed-door sessions with students to enable them to share grievances freely. The surveys, available at include separate questionnaires for students, parents, institutional representatives, mental health professionals, and the public. The site, accessible in English and Hindi, also provides student support resources with helpline numbers and a platform for institutes to share data. While the matter was being heard, the University Grants Commission issued a draft regulation for promoting equity and addressing discrimination on campuses, after petitioners argued that the 2012 regulations were inadequate. Following the draft's release, the petitioners submitted that the 2025 version diluted earlier provisions. The court permitted the UGC to proceed with the notification process, noting that the NTF's mandate covered the subject and that the regulation could be amended based on the task force's recommendations, if required. An interim report is expected in September, following which the NTF is scheduled to submit the final report by the end of this year. Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could also seek help from Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention by calling 011-40769002 or any of the numbers found in this link.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
National Task Force Launches Portal To Address Mental Health Concerns, Prevent Suicides
A dedicated portal to address mental health concerns and prevent suicides in higher education institutions has been launched by the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on Friday, to gather nationwide inputs. The platform will host online surveys for students, parents, faculty, and mental health professionals, as part of a multi-pronged effort to understand and tackle the crisis. An interim report is expected by the end of September, with the final report due later this year. Justice S Ravindra Bhat, former Supreme Court judge and Chairperson of the task force, underscored the enormity of the challenge, noting India's vast higher education landscape with over 60,000 institutions and more than 4.46 crore students. "Identifying the causes and suggesting recommendations is going to be an extremely challenging task, and this task force is completely committed to that... Student suicide is a major concern for all of us, contributing about 7.6% of total deaths as per NCRB data," Justice Bhat said. He added that the task force has prepared questionnaires to be launched alongside the website and will use multiple methods-from surveys and focus group discussions to expert consultations-to develop recommendations. Justice Bhat assured that the process would be collaborative, and evidence based. "We want to create an environment in which every student can achieve their dreams without losing hope. Not a single life should be lost," he said. The NTF is employing multiple methods for a nationwide reach such as visits to institutions across the country, prioritising those that have reported suicide cases. The panel has already conducted visits to several colleges in South India. The visits involve meetings with students, faculty, administrators, and grievance redressal committees, with a focus on hearing voices from disadvantaged sections. Dr Aqsa Shaikh, a member of the task force and Professor, Department of Community Medicine at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research highlighted the scale of the initiative. "The number of students who attempt suicide and who have suicidal ideation is manifold and a matter of national concern. This will cater to over four crore students. Over the next eight months, we will work collaboratively with institutions to prepare a consolidated plan," she added. The surveys available in English and Hindi will seek information on academic stress, systemic discrimination, availability of support, and grievance redressal mechanisms. Institutions will also be asked to share data on reported suicides, preventive measures, and grievance redressals. An open section will allow the public to submit suggestions. The NTF was constituted following a Supreme Court judgment on March 24, 2025, which expressed "deep concern" over rising suicides among students in universities and professional colleges, including institutions of national importance. According to NCRB data, 13,044 students died by suicide in 2022, a figure surpassing farmer and unemployed persons' suicides-with student suicide rates rising at twice the rate of the general population. The newly launched portal can be accessed at , serving as the primary channel for survey participation and list student support resources, including helpline numbers. Supreme Court issues guidelines to address mental health concerns The Supreme Court of India has issued a comprehensive set of 15 guidelines to address mental health concerns within the education system, emphasising the urgent need to safeguard student well-being. These guidelines, applicable to all educational institutions across India-public and private schools, colleges, universities, coaching institutes, and hostels-aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment. Detailed Guidelines: All institutions must adopt a uniform mental health policy, drawing from UMMEED, MANODARPAN, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Institutions with over 100 students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health. Student-to-counsellor ratios must be optimised. Dedicated mentors should be assigned to smaller groups, especially during exams. Coaching centres must avoid batch segregation based on academic performance and refrain from public shaming. Suicide helpline numbers (including Tele-MANAS) must be prominently displayed in classrooms, hostels, and online platforms. All staff must undergo certified mental health training twice a year. Staff must be sensitively trained to support students from marginalised backgrounds. Institutions must set up accessible, confidential systems to report and address sexual harassment, ragging, bullying, and discrimination. Sensitisation sessions for parents must be organised regularly. Institutions must maintain anonymised records and publish annual wellness reports. Extracurricular activities and structured career counselling for students and parents must be prioritised. Residential institutions must ensure campuses are free from bullying, drugs, and unsafe environments. Tamper-proof ceiling fans and restricted access to rooftops and balconies are mandatory. Coaching hubs in cities like Kota, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, and others must implement special mental health safeguards, ensure structured academic planning, provide continuous counselling, and establish monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
9 out of 10 small businesses use AI tools
New research from the Small Firms Association (SFA), shows that 9 out of 10 small firms are using artificial intelligence (AI) for one or more business processes. The most popular uses for AI were reported to be automation of simple tasks and data analytics reporting. The study found that the main barrier to deeper adoption of AI, is the lack of technical expertise followed by time pressures and a lack of a clear business strategy. According to the research, sentiment around adopting AI tools is broadly positive, particularly amongst providers of financial and professional services. Over two thirds of businesses said that they are either enthusiastic or curious about using AI tools. Three quarters of respondents said they have either started or are planning to investigate business use cases for AI. The retail sector respondents had the highest proportion of those that have not started or have no plans to use AI. "While the survey shows that small businesses are interested and curious about it, AI adoption remains shallow among small firms as it is mostly confined to content generation and simple data analysis, rather than innovation, product development, or decision-making," said David Broderick, Director of the Small Firms Association. "Therefore, many businesses have not yet explored its full potential." "Government should work with business to leverage an unlocked National Training Fund (NTF) to fund investment up/re-skilling programmes in digital and AI," Mr Broderick said. "The government also must ensure that Digital for Business and the Grow Digital Voucher supports further digital and AI adoption and increase private sector access to innovation supports, particularly the R&D tax credit," he added.
Hindustan Times
06-08-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Parents oppose state's bond policy for MBBS students, write to Centre
Parents of medical aspirants have presented a petition to the Union minister for health and family welfare JP Nadda against the Punjab health department's policy of submitting a two years and one year bond period for MBBS students. Dr Deepak Jangra, along with other parents has written to the Union health minister and asked the National Medical Commission (NMC) to restrain the compulsory bond. The parents said that the restrictions and financial pressure imposed by such bonds create a punitive environment that detracts students from the overall educational experience. (HT photo for representation) In a circular issued on June 13 June, the state health department had enunciated a bond of two years for students from the state quota and a bond of one year for all India quota for admissions to the new batch of MBBS. 'In 2024 the National Task Force (NTF) formed by the NMC had recommended that such bonds in practice across the country should be revised. They had said that these were brought back when there was shortage of doctors due to less number of medical colleges. But now the situation has changed and the policy needs to be revised.' said Dr Jangra. The letter to the Union minister quotes the NTF reports as saying, 'Both the compulsory rural service bond and seat leaving bonds should be reconsidered and removed at the earliest.' Dr Jangra claimed that doing MBBS at a government college in Punjab costs around ₹10 lakh compared to ₹1.5 lakh in Chandigarh or elsewhere. 'If the students have to pay so much more than the government institutes elsewhere, then why shouldn't they be allowed the freedom to pursue their careers as they wish instead of being forced to work in government hospitals for two years,' he asked. The parents said that the restrictions and financial pressure imposed by such bonds create a punitive environment that detracts students from the overall educational experience. States, they claim instead of investing in institutes to produce more health resources tried to compensate with such bonds. Dr Jangra said that the state should invest in public health infrastructure to solve the problems instead of putting strain on students with bonds. 'Punjab already has a bond policy for doctors who pursue PG on government quota. This is for the first time that the policy has been extended to MBBS students,' he added. However, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh didn't respond to multiple calls when approached for a comment. Parents of the students who are to join the MBBS course this year and those preparing for NEET UG for next two years have also challenged the policy in the Punjab and Haryana high court.
