Members, cutting across party lines, in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday expressed concern over suicides among students and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar proposed a discussion on the issue and suggested evolving an ecosystem where student suicides can be minimised and brought down to zero.
He made these assertions during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha where five supplementaries were asked by members on suicides among students due to stress of competitive examinations.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan replied to all oral supplementaries but the members continued to show their anxiousness over the issue.
Taking cognisance of the seriousness of the issue, Dhankhar said, “I appeal to the honourable members that this is an issue (in which) we must involve ourselves. We can make huge contributions.”
He suggested evolving an ecosystem where student suicides can be minimised and brought down to zero.
“Everyone has a role to contribute. I will be open to a discussion on this issue as the members may feel,” he stated.
Earlier, replying in the House on the starred or oral questions, Pradhan informed the members that, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 1,70,924 (1.70 lakh) suicides reported in 2022. Of these, suicides due to failure in examinations were 2,051 or 1.2 per cent. “I take responsibility of this (suicides by students).
