India sees alarming rise in student suicide cases; Karnataka among top affected states

India is witnessing a worrying surge in student suicides, with numbers increasing every year. According to a recent report by IC3, a global NGO supporting school children, student deaths have outpaced both population growth and farmer suicides. Maharashtra leads in these tragic statistics, while Karnataka ranks fourth.

The IC3 report, which is based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2021-2022, paints a grim picture of the rising pressure and mental health challenges faced by students across the country.

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Disturbing Statistics:

In 2021, a staggering 13,089 students took their own lives in India, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Shockingly, students accounted for 8% of the total suicides in the country that year. The report highlights a 57% rise in student suicides over the decade from 2012 to 2021, compared to the previous decade from 2002 to 2011, during which 97,571 student deaths were recorded. This increase in student suicides is significantly higher than both the population growth rate and the overall suicide trend in the country.

Top 5 States:

Maharashtra reported the highest number of student suicides in 2021, with 1,834 cases. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh with 1,308 cases, Tamil Nadu with 1,246 cases, Karnataka with 855 cases, and Odisha with 834 cases. These five states alone accounted for 46% of the total student suicides in the country. Additionally, the southern states and Union Territories contributed to 29% of these tragic deaths, as noted in the report.

While the country has seen a 12% decline in farmer suicides over the past six years, student suicides have alarmingly increased by 62% during the same period. In 2021 alone, 10,881 farmers and 13,089 students ended their lives, highlighting the urgent need to address the factors contributing to this crisis.

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Causes:

The report attributes this rise in student suicides to a combination of factors, including academic pressure, stress related to job selection, lack of support from educational institutions, incidents of ragging and harassment, discrimination, financial difficulties, changes in family structure, emotional neglect, social isolation, and unaddressed mental health issues.

The increasing number of student suicides calls for immediate action from authorities, educational institutions, and society as a whole to create a supportive environment for students. 

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• Karnataka
• Suicide rates
• Mental health
• Student suicide
• Alarming rise