NEW DELHI: The National Task Force (NTF) set up by the Apex Court on student mental health and suicide prevention in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has been conducting field visits to 30 HEIs in 10 states since May last year.
The measure aimed to enable a deeper engagement with the regional and institutional context. The Task Force also conducted 25 stakeholder consultations to ensure an interdisciplinary and equity-oriented approach.
An official announcement from the Ministry of Education said that as of January 2026, the NTF completed additional consultations on the following topics: Students and faculty with disabilities; Caste discrimination in higher education; Gender, mental health and suicides; Students from ST and OBC communities, Mental Health and decriminalization of Suicide; Gender in student suicide in higher education and consultation with mental health NGOs and consultation with law students.
The NTF was established by the Supreme Court of India on March 24, 2025, to address the rising incidence of student suicides and to look into mental health and well-being concerns among students in HEIs across the country.
Former Chief Statistician of India, Prof. TCA Anant, was appointed as Technical Consultant to NTF to conduct a comprehensive and scientific analysis of the survey data.
The primary task of the NTF is threefold — Identifying the predominant causes leading to student suicide; analysis of relevant laws, policies and institutional frameworks; proposing the necessary reforms in the existing legal and institutional framework to ensure stronger enforcement, accountability, taking preventive measures including recommendations to address existing gaps, creating a more inclusive, supportive academic environment and ensuring equal opportunities for members of marginalized communities.
