July 31, 2024
Mausam Noor’s supplementary question on the govt’s urgent need, in view of the large number of student suicides, to take concrete measures to reform the education and examination system
Sir, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to raise such an important issue. According to the latest data from NCRB, students account for 8 per cent of the total suicide victims equating to more than 13,000 lives lost in a year. This is a crisis that needs immediate attention and action. 35 per cent of all suicides are committed by those within the age group of 18 to 30 years of age. The failure of our examination and admission system is starkly evident. 1,123 children under 18 ended their lives due to exam failure in 2022, while 1,445 young adults took their lives over unemployment. The recent figures highlight the brutal competition students endure. This year, over 23 lakh candidates appeared for NEET (UG), but only 1.8 lakh MBBS seats were available. Similarly, 12.3 lakh students appeared for JEEMains, vying for a mere 39,767 seats. The disparity is crushing. Sir, students’ worth is wrongly tied to exam results. The intense media hype, societal shame, lack of adequate academic counselling and unemployment are pushing them to the edge. The future of lakhs of students, who prepared for NEET, UGC-NET, CSIR NET and NEET PG this year, hangs in the balance. The state of education in our country has reached a critical stage. Each student suicide is a national tragedy starkly reflecting the Government’s failure to support its youth. Therefore, the Government must urgently undertake concrete measures to reform the country’s education and examination system.
