Supreme Court directs NTF to suggest SOP for 'well being audits' in higher education institutions over student suicides

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the National Task Force, set up by it after noting disturbing pattern of student suicides being reported from various educational institutions, to suggest measures for creation of a model Standard Operating Procedure for periodic “well-being audits” in higher education institutions.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, while adopting the recommendations made by the National Task Force, directed all higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country to report immediately any suicide or unnatural death of a student to the police authorities.

It said such institutions cannot shirk away from their fundamental duty to ensure that their institutions as a whole are safe, equitable, inclusive and conducive spaces of learning.

Dealing with a plea filed by Amit Kumar and others, the court also sought help from NTF for creation of a model SOP for faculty sensitisation and training, mental health services for students among others.

"What we wish to achieve and also hope from the NTF is that they suggest a model ‘Universal Design Framework’ or a model ‘Suicide Prevention and Postvention Protocol’ or a model ‘Student well-being Protocol’ which cohesively and comprehensively incorporates the model SOPs, the existing guidelines on ragging, promotion of equity, sexual harassment, etc., and any other relevant measures which they may consider necessary, into one single guiding document,'' the bench said.

In view the recommendations of the NTF, the court issued directions stating that the Sample Registration System data on Suicides, especially those falling within the age group of 15-29 years, must be centrally maintained for better and more accurate estimates of deaths by suicide of students in HEIs.

"Keeping in mind the faculty shortages, reported in several HEIs, both public and private, it must be ensured that all vacant faculty positions (both teaching and non-teaching) be filled within a period of four months, with priority given to posts reserved for candidates from marginalized and underrepresented communities including those posts reserved for PwDs,'' the bench said in its 38-page order.

The court also ordered that appointment and filling of vacancies of the post of ViceChancellor, Registrars, and other key institutional/administrative positions, must also be made within a period of four months.

It also directed that the backlog of any and all pending scholarship disbursements must be cleared within a period of four months by the relevant central and state government authorities.