Student suicides have reached an alarming scale in India, with students making up 7.6% of the country's total suicide deaths, according to a recently released report by National Crime Records Bureau.

The report, which used the most recent data from 2022, showed that an estimated 13,000 students die every year by suicide in India. Official figures for suicides in 2023 and 2024 have yet to be published.

Research and government reports point to a combination of academic and social stress, and lack of institutional support and awareness, as contributing factors.

"I see these numbers as not just statistics but as signs of silent suffering buried under societal norms and expectations," Anjali Nagpal, a neuropsychiatrist who has studied the issue closely, told DW.

"I have observed that children are not taught how to handle failure, disappointment or uncertainty. We prepare them for exams, not for life," she added.

"Mental health education should be a regular part of school life not limited to isolated sessions. Students need space to talk and be heard. Teachers must be trained to listen, not just lecture," Nagpal said.

On Monday, Indian Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar shared the report's findings before........

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